P53 Expression in Pterygium by Immunohistochemical Analysis: a Series Report of 127 Cases and Review of the Literature

Purpose: To assess the p53 protein expression in pterygial tissue and to review all immunohistochemical studies on pterygium from Medline to evaluate the roles of age, gender, race, p53 antibody, cutoff levels of immunohistochemical analysis, parts of pterygium, p53 gene mutation spectrum, and primary or recurrent pterygium on the p53 staining results.

Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 127 pterygial specimens and 18 normal conjunctival samples. All 8 immunohistochemical studies on p53 expression in pterygium from Medline were reviewed.

Results: Among the 127 pterygial samples, there were 29 specimens (22.8%) positive for p53 expression. There was no significant difference between the p53-positive and p53-negative groups with respect to age or gender.

Conclusion: The positive rate of p53 staining in 8 immunohistochemical studies was 7.9%, 36.8%, 37.5%, 38.1%, 50%, 53.8%, 60%, and 100%, respectively. p53 protein antibody, cutoff level, race, and p53 gene mutational spectra all affect the results on the p53 staining. Different parts of pterygium and gender merit further evaluation in their role on p53 staining result.