Objective: To determine the usefulness of p53 immunostaining in identifying the subgroup of patients with Barrett esophagus who may be at increased risk of developing adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
Materials and methods: Tissue samples of 41 patients with Barrett esophagus and available sequential histologic data were processed for p53 immunostaining. Results from each patient were compared over time, and the results of a subset of patients were compared with each other.
Results: We observed a significant correlation between the percentage of samples with p53 expression and the severity of dysplasia. Moreover, in a subset of patients with mild dysplasia (cases classified as showing indefinite dysplasia), we observed a statistically significant difference in the percentage of p53-positive samples between the group that progressed to more severe dysplasia and the group that did not progress.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that this procedure, which is technically simple, economical, and quick, could play a role in the evaluation and follow-up of patients with Barrett esophagus.