ABSTRACT
Our understanding of cellular growth control and cell cycle control has been studied extensively at the last decade. Several genes have been identified whose expression are affected by p53 gene. The waf1 is a target gene whose expression has been found to be regulated by p53. We studied p53/waf1 expression inschistosomal egyptian bladder cancer patients in an attempt for the possible use of them as genetic marker for assessment of the progression of such type of disease in egypt. For this purpose, 50 bladder tumors and their corresponding safty margins as controls were collected from nci, cairo niversity and screened for detection of p53 alterations using western blotting confirmed by pcr-sscp analysis, as well as the expression of waf1 gene using western blotting technique. Our results revealed that 20 cases [40%] showed mut-p53, 19 of them harbor abnormal pattern of sscp analysis. A significant correlation was reported between p53 and histopathological type of bladder cancer [scc and tcc, p=0.02]. We reported 21 cases [42%] showed waf1 downexpression. This study gives a dramatic example for the interaply between the oncosuppressor genes in cancer where, a very strong negative association was reported between the presence of p53 alteration [at both dna and protein levels] and waf1 expression [p=0.001]. In conclusion, this study provides an evidence that p53 may be involved in scc genetic. However, no role for p53 alterations in the progression or metastatic potential of bladder cancer. Also, p53/waf1 deficiency may not involve in bladder cancer development and/or progression