Expression of p53, VEGF, microvessel density, and cyclin-D1 in noncancerous tissue of inflammatory bowel disease.

We aimed to evaluate the carcinogenesis risk in inflammatory bowel disease via p53 mutation and its relation with hyperproliferation (cyclin-D1) and angiogenesis (with vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and microvessel density) and whether these events play important roles in pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Colonic tissue samples of 26 ulcerative colitis, 6 Crohn's disease, and 8 amoebic colitis patients as well as samples of 10 healthy controls were stained with p53, cyclin-D1, CD34, and VEGF monoclonal antibodies by immunohistochemistry and evaluated semiquantitatively. Expression of p53 was higher in ulcerative colitis than in the healthy control and amoebic colitis groups (4.15 +/- 2.07, 1.4 +/- 1.5, 1.3 +/- 1.5; P < 0.001). The Crohn's disease group had the highest p53 expression (4.6 +/- 1.6). The Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and amoebic colitis groups all had higher VEGF expression than did the healthy controls (respectively, 4.3 +/- 1.2, 2.92 +/- 2.0, 2.3 +/- 1.5, 0.6 +/- 0.97; P < 0.001). Also, microvessel density was statistically higher in all three colitis groups than in healthy controls. Cyclin-D1 expression in all four groups was similar. The study showed that p53 mutation was present in nonneoplastic mucosa of inflammatory bowel disease patients. Detecting strong p53 overexpression with VEGF overexpression may help in differentiating inflammatory bowel disease from other colitis.