Clinical significance of heat shock protein-70 expression in bladder cancer

Objectives. To investigate the expression of heat shock protein-70 (HSP-70) in transitional cell bladder cancer and correlate it with normal and inflammatory bladder tissue samples. Methods. We used a three-step avidin-biotin method to examine the localization of a rabbit anti-HSP-70 polyclonal antibody in normal (n = 10), inflammatory (n = 10), and malignant (n = 67) bladder tissue samples. Results. Fifty-eight percent of the bladder cancer samples and only 10% and 20% of the normal and inflammatory bladder tissue samples, respectively, expressed HSP-70. Localization of the antibody correlated with the grade (P <0.001), stage (P <0.001), and survival (P <0.05) of the patients with malignancy. Conclusions. HSP-70 is frequently overexpressed by bladder cancer cells and could be used as biochemical marker in patients with bladder cancer. (C) 2003, Elsevier Science Inc.