Preliminary study of p53 and c-erbB-2 expression in gallbladder cancer in Indian patients

In all 78 consecutive patients of gall bladder diseases were studied for p53 and c-erbB-2 expression immunohistochemically and their expression was correlated with the age, grades and stages of the disease and presence of stone. An informed consent was obtained in each case. Chi square and z test were applied to see the association of p53 and c-erbB-2 over expression with other clinicopathological factors.Eight (20%) patients of gall bladder cancer were positive for p53 expression and 10 (25%) patients for c-erbB-2. The p53 positivity increased with increasing grade while cerbB-2 positivity decreased with increasing grade of gall bladder cancer. Mean age in cerbB-2 positive cases were lesser as compared to negative cases while p53 did not show such association with age.Only one case of gall bladder cancer co-expressed the p53 and c-erbB-2, thereby suggesting that p53 and c-erbB-2 may have independent role in carcinogenesis of gall bladder cancer. c-erbB-2 over expression in adenoma and younger age group indicates its role as an early event in carcinogenesis of gallbladder. However study of larger sample is required to further validate the results.Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a latent disease, as a result it is usually diagnosed in an advanced stage, resulting a 5 year survival rate of <10% [1]. Gallbladder cancer is very common in South American countries, the Mediterranean region, Japan [2] and northern part of India [3]. Chile has the highest incidence rate of GBC (7.5/100,000 population) especially among American Indian females [4]. According to Indian Council of Medical Research cancer registry 2001 [5], in North India the incidence of GBC is 2.5–8.9/1,00,000 female and 1.6 3.7/1,00,000 male whereas in Southern India it is only 0.7–0.8/1,00,000 female and 0.50.6/1,00,000 male population. The poor prognosis and high incidence of GBC in North India necessitates a closer look at the molecular changes for evolving an effective early diagnostic and therapeutic strateg