SERUM AND URINE P53 PROTEIN IN BLADDER CANCER PATIENTS AND IN WORKERS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO GENOTOXIC AND MUTAGENIC DYES

JANUSZ A. INDULSKI, WALDEMAR LUTZ, BOZENNA KRAJEWSKA

The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland1

Corresponding author: Prof. Janusz A. Indulski

The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine

8 Sw. Teresy St. P.O. Box 199

90-950 Lodz, Poland

Tel.: (+48 42) 6314-502, (+48 42) 6552-505

Fax: (+48 42) 6568-331, (+48 42) 6556-102

E-mail: impx@porta.imp.lodz.pl

CEJOEM 1999, Vol.5. No.1.:17-25

ABSTRACT: The suppressor gene coding the protein p53 is the most frequent location of mutations in the human cancer cell genome. The mutations result in formation of inactive p53 protein deprived of the ability to inhibit cell growth and division processes. The mutated protein p53, which is characterized by longer half-life, can be found in physiological fluids, such as blood or urine, collected from patients with clinically overt cancer, as well as from some people exposed to genotoxic and mutagenic agents.

Our research comprised observations of patients with urinary bladder cancer and of people occupationally exposed to dusts containing dyes which had been found to be genotoxic or mutagenic. Blood serum and urine protein concentrations were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Increased concentration of protein p53 in blood serum was found in 10 of 21 patients with bladder cancer (almost 50%). The values of that concentration ranged from 30 to 289 pg/ml. Elevated urine p53 protein concentration was found in 13 of the 21 patients with bladder cancer (over 60%). The values of that concentration ranged from 27 to 496 pg/ml. These concentration values did not show any relationship with tumor stage. In the group of 29 healthy persons occupationally exposed to genotoxic and mutagenic dyes, p53 protein was detected in more than 40% of the test subjects, while in the control group of healthy persons who were not occupationally exposed to the carcinogenic agents, the corresponding figure was only 20%. The determined p53 protein levels were considerably lower than those determined in the persons with bladder cancer. It is reasonable to assume that urine protein p53 determinations can serve as a useful biomarker for molecular epidemiologists in their assessment of the risk of cancer among populations exposed to occupational and environmental carcinogens.

KEY WORDS: Protein p53, bladder cancer, serum, urine, mutagenic dyes

Received: 03 April 1998 Accepted: 08 January 1999 Posted: December 1999
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