Role of immunohistochemical expression of p-53 and her-2-neu in understanding the pathogenesis and prognosis of gall bladder carcinoma

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction: Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is a highly lethal malignancy, often diagnosed at advanced stages due to its asymptomatic nature in the early phases. Histopathological evaluation and the expression of molecular markers, such as p53 and HER2/neu, play critical roles in understanding GBC's pathogenesis, guiding treatment, and evaluating prognosis.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the role of immunohistochemical expression of p53 and HER2/neu in gallbladder carcinoma.

Methods: A two-year prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at GSVM Medical College and LLR Hospitals, Kanpur. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis of p53 and HER2/neu were performed on gallbladder carcinoma and precursor lesions. Statistical associations were assessed using the Chi-squared test.

Results: The study included 50 patients, with 42 HER2/neu positive and 8 HER2/neu negative cases. Tumor size showed a significant association with HER2/neu expression (p-value = 0.0151), while no significant association was found for tumor site (p-value = 1.0) or regional lymph node involvement (p-value = 0.3488). For p53, 44 cases were positive, and 6 were negative, with significant associations found with histological grade (p-value = 0.04). No significant association was observed with tumor size or site distribution by p53 status.

Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of p53 and HER2/neu in GBC's pathogenesis. While HER2/neu expression was significantly associated with tumor size, p53 was associated with histological grade. These findings suggest the potential for these markers to inform treatment strategies and prognostic assessments in GBC.

Keywords: Gallbladder carcinoma; p53; HER2/neu; histopathology; immunohistochemistry; tumor progression; targeted therapy.