title: High expression of the bcl-x gene in Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin's disease.
abstract: The expression of bcl-x protein, a bcl-2-related protein present in cortical thymocytes, activated lymphocytes, and plasma cells of reactive lymph nodes, was investigated in 44 cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) in parallel with bcl-2 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status. Eighty-six percent of the cases were positive for bcl-x, among them 27% with a strong signal in more than 75% of the Reed-Sternberg cells. Positivity for bcl-x was found in, respectively, 100% and 92% of the nodular sclerosis and mixed cellularity subtypes, although 4 cases of lymphocyte predominance subtype were negative. This finding was in contrast with the weaker positivity for bcl-2 staining in 44% of the cases. EBV small RNAs were detected in 43% of the cases by using in situ hybridization. Of interest, 100% of the EBV-positive samples were positive for bcl-x, whereas only 38% of these cases were bcl-2 positive. Our findings show that the bcl-x gene expression is high in HD, suggesting that bcl-x may have a role in the pathogenesis of at least some cases of HD via apoptosis regulation.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Hématologie, Clinique Dieulafoy, Hôpital de Purpan, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schlaifer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krajewski
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pris
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delsol
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brousset
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D004279:DNA, Viral; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051020:bcl-X Protein