Expression of the Apoptosis suppressing protein bcl-2 in prostatic adenocarcinoma is related to tumor malignancy

✍ Scribed by Lipponen, P.; Vesalainen, S.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 312 KB
• Volume: 32
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-4137
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0045(19970615)32:1<9::aid-pros2>3.0.co;2-i

✦ Synopsis

Background:

The expression of bcl-2 protein has been related to histopathological features and prognosis in several epithelial tumors. in prostatic adenocarcinoma the prognostic significance of bcl-2 expression is mainly unexplored.

Methods:

The expression of bcl-2 protein was assessed in 235 prostatic adenocarcinomas by using monoclonal bcl-2 protein antibody after microwave pretreatment of the cancer sections. the results of immunohistochemistry were related to histopathological features and prognosis of the patients.

Results:

71% of the tumors were bcl-2 negative, in 18% of cases the expression was weak, and in 11% of cases strong. the fraction of bcl-2 positive cells was variable (mean [se]: 15 [2]%). the expression of bcl-2 protein was positively correlated to high t-category, metastatic disease, and poor histological differentiation of the tumor. tumors that were aneuploid and rapidly proliferating frequently expressed bcl-2 protein, while tumors we densely infiltrated by inflammatory cells rarely expressed bcl-2. the expression of bcl-2 protein was related to lowered survival probability in univariate analysis, while in multivariate analysis the expression of bcl-2 had no independent prognostic value.

Conclusions:

The expression of bcl-2 protein in prostatic adenocarcinoma is related to tumor malignancy, but the prognostic significance of the expression requires further analyses, particularly in localized tumors.