Serum p53 antibodies as a prognostic marker in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)

Objective: p53 alterations play a pivotal role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) progression and may induce a humoral response. PDAC progression is impacted by mutant p53. In the present study, we evaluated whether serum p53 antibodies (p53-Abs) could act as a prognostic marker in PDAC patients. Methods: The levels of serum p53-Abs were determined in PDAC patients using ELISA and their association with clinicopathological features and patient survival was examined. Results: The level of p53-Abs was significantly associated with advanced tumor stage (P=0.0029) and tumor metastasis (P<0.0001). Patients with low expression for p53-Abs showed better overall survival than those with high expression (P=0.0028). Specifically, a negative relationship was observed between serum p53-Abs and survival in patients with an advanced tumor stage (P=0.027). However, no significant correlation was observed in patients at an early stage. Conclusions: These results suggest that serum p53-Abs may serve as a biomarker for overall survival in PDAC patients.