The p15 and p16 genes are known to be juxtaposed on chromosome 9p21 at the locus of a putative tumour-suppressor gene involved in the initiation of bladder cancer.
Alteration of the p16 and p15 genes appears to be an early event in bladder cancer which occurs more frequently in SABC and SCC, and may play an important role in the development of schistosomal bladder cancer.
The present study evaluated p21 expression, p16 and p15 gene deletion and cylin D1 expression in bladder carcinoma among Egyptian patients, in relation to different clinicopathological features of the tumors and presence or absence of bilharziasis.