Expression of bcl-2 protein and Ki-67 nuclear proliferation antigen in benign and malignant cutaneous T-cell infiltrates.
The bcl-2 protein prolongs cell life by inhibiting apoptosis. Its expression has been studied in a variety of normal tissues and lymphomas but there is minimal information available concerning bcl-2 expression by benign and malignant cutaneous T-cells. Therefore, we investigated bcl-2 expression in a wide variety of cutaneous T-cell infiltrates using one- and two-color immunohistologic techniques. bcl-2 was expressed by the majority of lesional CD3+ T-cells in most cases. This included 22/26 cases of mycosis fungoides (MF), 3/3 cases of non-MF cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, 5/5 cases of lymphomatoid papulosis, 4/4 cases of T-cell rich cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia, 2/3 cases of bullous pemphigoid, 2/2 cases of discoid lupus erythematosus and 1/1 case of lichen planus. Titration experiments and comparative studies of tonsil section positive controls revealed that, relative to mantle zone B-cells, there was over- expression of bcl-2 by a variable subset of T-cells in most cases. Assessment of multiple biopsies in a subset of MF cases showed stable expression of bcl-2 over intervals of up to two years. In contrast to the widespread expression of bcl-2 in both early and advanced MF skin lesions, abundant expression of the nuclear proliferation antigen, Ki-67, was skewed toward advanced MF skin lesions. Ten percent or more Ki-67+ cells were present in 5% of patients with patches/thin plaques, 38% with moderate plaques, 64% with thick plaques and 100% with tumor nodules.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dummer
R
R
Department of Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Michie
S A
SA
Kell
D
D
Gould
J W
JW
Haeffner
A C
AC
Smoller
B R
BR
Warnke
R A
RA
Wood
G S
GS
D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000737:chemistry*; D017731:Lymphomatoid Papulosis; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2