[Detection of serum anti-p53 antibodies in patients with various types of cancer].

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is altered in a variety of human cancers and mutated p53 protein was found to induce anti-p53 antibodies in sera of patients with various types of malignant neoplastic disease. We report here the presence of anti-p53 antibodies in sera from patients with various disorders as well as from healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prevalence of anti-p53 antibodies in cancer was higher than neoplastic disease. High antibody concentrations were found in patients with 1 pharyngeal, 3 esophageal, 4 lung, 4 gastric, 1 pancreatic, 3 colonic and 4 ovarian cancer. Serological analysis does not require biopsy of the tumor. Therefore, determination of anti-p53 antibodies can be used for tumor screening and for early diagnosis.