Amyloid-like fibrils are not detected in non-small cell lung cancer tissue samples

Med Oncol. 2012 Jun;29(2):614-7. doi: 10.1007/s12032-011-9915-y. Epub 2011 Mar 26.

Abstract

Some proteins, canonically not associated with amyloid diseases, can aggregate into amyloid-like fibrils under special conditions. Our group hypothesized that stressful cancer microenvironment might induce the formation of insoluble deposits of p53 mutant protein. A cohort of 28 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was used to test the aforementioned hypothesis. Tumor specimens were assessed for TP53 mutations using DNA sequencing and for amyloid formation by Congo red staining. TP53 mutations were present in 57% of patients, whereas no amyloid deposits were detected in tissue sections under polarized light microscopy. Mutant p53 proteins are not associated with the appearance of amyloid-like fibrils in NSCLC samples, and DNA sequencing remains the standard method to detect such abnormality.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Amyloid / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Large Cell / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Large Cell / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology
  • DNA, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutant Proteins / genetics*
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Prognosis
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics*

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • DNA, Neoplasm
  • Mutant Proteins
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53