Expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 in transitional cell bladder cancers: Is it a good predictor for tumor behavior?

Objectives: Progression of the cell cycleis regulated by the interactions of cyclins,cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) and CDKinhibitors (CDKIs). p27 is a member of theuniversal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitorfamily. The level of p27 protein expressiondecreases during tumor development andprogression in some epithelial, lymphoid andendocrine tissues. It has been suggested thatp27 is an independent prognostic factor invarious human cancers. The prognostic value ofp27 protein expression is not completelyunderstood in bladder cancer yet.Aims: To investigate theimmunohistochemical expression of p27 intransitional cell bladder cancers and itsrelationship with clinicopathological data,proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) andp53 oncoprotein immunoreactivity.Methods: The expression of p27 proteinwas immunohistochemically analyzed inparaffin-embedded specimens of 75 patients withtransitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. p27expression was compared with tumor grade,stage, growth pattern, disease-free survival,progression, PCNA and p53 immunoreactivity.Results: Expression of p27 was notsignificantly related to clinicopathologicparameters, disease-free survival, progression,PCNA and p53 immunoreactivity.Conclusion: The results indicate that p27is not a good predictor for outcome oftransitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.