Expression of p53, Ki-67, and CD31 in the vaginal margins of radical hysterectomy in patients with stage IB carcinoma of the cervix

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to evaluate the expression of p53, Ki-67, and CD31 both in the tumor and in the vaginal margins of radical hysterectomy in patients with stage IB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, as an attempt to use these proteins as possible markers for residual tumor in cervical cancer. METHODS: Thirty patients with stage IB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix were submitted to radical hysterectomy (study group), and thirty patients with uterine myoma were submitted to vaginal hysterectomy (control group) and were prospectively studied from November 2001 to September 2002. Tissue samples were taken from the tumor or cervix, anterior vaginal margin (AVM), and posterior vaginal margin (PVM) and were immunohistochemically evaluated by monoclonal antibodies for p53, Ki-67, and CD31. Vaginal samples in which the histological examination showed tumor involvement were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Patient's mean age was 48.7 +/- 10.4 years (27-73 years). The clinical stage was IB1 in 22 patients (73.3%) and IB2 in eight patients (26.7%). The expressions of p53, Ki-67, and CD31 were significantly higher in the tumor than in the benign cervix (P < 0.001). Higher expressions of these markers were noted in the vaginal margins of radical hysterectomy in patients with cervical carcinoma compared to the vaginal margins of control patients. This association was demonstrated for p53 in the AVM proximal (P = 0.045), for Ki-67 in AVM proximal (P < 0.001), AVM distal (P < 0.001), PVM proximal (P = 0.009), and PVM distal (P < 0.001), and for CD31 in AVM proximal (P = 0.003) and AVM distal (P = 0.018). There was no difference in p53, Ki-67, and CD31 expression between the proximal and distal regions of the vaginal margins in patients with carcinoma of the cervix. CONCLUSION: The expressions of p53, Ki-67, and CD31 were significantly higher in both the histologically positive (cervical tumor) and negative (vaginal margins) tissues of patients who had undergone radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer compared to the benign control tissues.