Expression of p16, Rb and FHIT proteins in urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Background: The goal of this study was to investigate the expression of p16, retinoblastoma (Rb) and fragile histidine triad (FHIT) proteins in urothelial carcinomas of the urinary bladder, and to evaluate the relationship between clinicopathlogic parameters and each protein expression level. Methods: The expression of p16, Rb, and FHIT proteins were studied in 176 patients with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder by immunohistochemistry. Results: The diffuse positive expression of the p16 protein was significantly associated with high grade and advanced tumor depth (p=0.007 and p=0.020). The loss of the Rb protein was significantly associated with old age and disease recurrence (p=0.020 and 0.037). The loss of the FHIT protein was significantly associated with advanced tumor depth (p=0.002). Conclusions: Our data suggest that p16 and FHIT proteins may be involved in the progression of urothelial carcinoma. In addition, p16 may be a useful prognostic marker for individual urothelial carcinoma patients.