ISSN:
1432-2307
Keywords:
BCL-2 immunoreactivity
;
Breast carcinoma
;
Oestrogen receptors
;
Progesterone receptors
;
p53 accumulation
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract BCL-2 protein plays a pivotal role in overriding programmed cell death (apoptosis), thus favouring a prolonged survival of normal and neoplastic cells. Expression of the bcl-2 gene has been documented in some human tumours (non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and prostatic adenocarcinomas), but findings in breast carcinomas have not been reported. We have used the monoclonal antibody 124 to investigate BCL-2 expression in 212 breast carcinomas, and to correlate it with the oestrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) status, and with other clinicopathological variables including tumour type, grade, stage, growth fraction (as evaluated by Ki-67 immunostaining), and p53 accumulation. Of the 212 carcinomas, 173 (81.6%) exhibited BCL-2 immunoreactivity in more than 25% of the neoplastic cells. BCL-2 immunoreactivity was strongly correlated with ER and PR expression (P〈0.00001), with the lobular type (P=0.012) and with better differentiated neoplasms (P=0.00003), whereas it was inversely correlated with EGFR (P〈0.00001), p53 (P=0.0004) and Ki-67 (P=0.0002) immunoreactivities. No association was found with tumour stage (T and N categories). We conclude that bcl-2 expression in breast cancers is related to the oestrogen-dependent transcription pathway.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00197392
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