title: Expression of the apoptosis-suppressing protein Bcl-2 in non-melanoma skin cancer.
abstract: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is typically a slow-growing malignant tumour, composed of cells similar to those in the basal area of the epidermis. We investigated the expression of bcl-2 (B-cell leukaemia/lymphoma-2) in BCC, and also in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin. The proto-oncogene bcl-2 encodes a protein which inhibits programmed cell death (apoptosis). The protein is expressed in basal cells in normal human epithelium, but not in the suprabasal cell layers. Immunohistochemical localization using a monoclonal anti-Bcl-2 antibody revealed bcl-2 expression in all the BCCs (15 patients). SCCs did not express bcl-2 (five patients). The positive Bcl-2 staining of BCC tumour cells supports the hypothesis that BCCs originate from the basal layer of the epidermis. The bcl-2 expression of BCC tumour cells also suggests a neoplastic transformation caused by extended cell survival rather than increased cell proliferation. This type of neoplastic growth is possibly associated with less aggressive tumour behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Academisch Ziekenhuis Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Verhaegh
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Arends
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Neumann
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2