Expression of tumour-suppressor gene Rb, apoptosis-suppressing protein Bcl-2 and c-Myc have no independent prognostic value in renal adenocarcinoma.
The expression of retinoblastoma (Rb), c-Myc and Bcl-2 proteins was studied by immunohistochemical methods in 104 cases of renal adenocarcinoma. One tumour was completely negative for Rb protein and altered expression pattern was detected in 36% of cases. A low fraction of Rb-positive nuclei was related to high grade (P = 0.016) and high mitotic index (P = 0.012). Twenty-eight per cent of the tumours expressed c-Myc in cancer cell nuclei and 87% showed cytoplasmic positivity. Cytoplasmic expression of c-Myc was related to high grade (P = 0.002), while nuclear expression of c-Myc was related to small tumour diameter (P = 0.034), low T category (P = 0.04), low mitotic index (P = 0.019) and expression of c-ErbB-2 (P = 0.0007). Overexpression of c-myc predicted favourable outcome in M0 tumours (P = 0.0157). Bcl-2 was expressed in 20% of tumours and it was related to small tumour size (P < 0.0001), low T category (P < 0.0001), lack of venous invasion (P = 0.008), node negativity (P = 0.015) and absence of metastasis (P = 0.017). In multivariate analysis the expression of Rb, Bcl-2 and c-Myc had no independent prognostic value over T category (P < 0.001), mitotic index (P = 0.008) and combined nuclear grade (P = 0.056).
Lipponen
P
P
Department of Pathology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
Eskelinen
M
M
Syrjänen
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D016161:Genes, Retinoblastoma; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008940:Mitotic Index; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases