Bcl-2 oncogene protein is preferentially expressed in Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's disease of the nodular sclerosis subtype.
One hundred three cases of nodular sclerosis (NS) and mixed-cellularity Hodgkin's disease were evaluated for expression of bcl-2 oncogene protein, because previous studies have revealed expression of bcl-2 in these subtypes but only rarely in the nodular lymphocyte-predominance subtype. Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells and lacunar variants were positive for bcl-2 in 51 of 86 NS cases and 4 of 17 mixed-cellularity cases. In individual cases of NS, the percentage of RS cells and lacunar variants positive for bcl-2 ranged from minimal (in 5 cases) to 100% positive (mean, 34%). By univariate analysis, expression of the bcl-2 gene product in RS cells was observed in a significantly greater proportion of NS Hodgkin's disease cases than MC cases (P < .009), a finding that may have implications on the pathogenesis of this disorder.
Lones
M A
MA
Department of Pathology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
Pinkus
G S
GS
Shintaku
I P
IP
Said
J W
JW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2