p53, Mdm2, and c‐Myc overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis in aggressive non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas

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Abstract
The expression of p53, p21/WAF‐1, Mdm2, c‐Myc, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) proteins was examined by the immunohistochemistry of paraffin‐embedded tissues of 62 patients with aggressive non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) and correlated to clinical data. Expression of p53, p21/WAF‐1, Mdm2, and c‐Myc protein was observed in 17 out of 62 cases (30%), 25 out of 60 (42%), 13 out of 44 (30%), and 39 out of 51 (76.5%), respectively. The p53+/p21WAF‐1 phenotype, which is more frequently found in p53 mutations, was associated with a worse overall survival (P = 0.04) and with a lower rate of complete response (CR) (PF = 0.01). p53 and c‐Myc negative expression was related to a better response to chemotherapy (PF = 0.005 and 0.035, respectively). The expression of p53, c‐Myc, and Mdm2 was related to a shortened overall survival (P < 0.001, 0.05, and 0.037, respectively), suggesting that the expression of these proteins could be associated with a poor outcome in these patients. Am. J. Hematol. 67:84–92, 2001.