Presence of the bcl-2 protein and apoptosis in non-Hodgkin lymphomas with diffuse growth pattern.
In an attempt to further clarify the role of the apoptosis-counteracting protein bcl-2, non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL, n = 170) were examined immunohistochemically, across the boundaries of histologic classification, for the presence of this oncoprotein, in comparison with apoptotic indices (AI) and percentages of Ki-67+ cells (growth fraction). The results of this retrospective study revealed a highly significant inverse relationship ("mirror image") between the proportion of bcl-2+ cells and the AI per case. Both these parameters, although variable, clearly distinguished low- from high-grade-malignancy lymphomas according to the Kiel classification. Cluster analysis detected 2 separate groups of high-grade NHL, one with rather high AI and low percentages of bcl-2+ cells, comprising most anaplastic large-cell lymphomas, the other group with reverse characteristics. We found no correlation between the percentage of bcl-2+ cells per case and overall survival.
Leoncini
L
L
Institute of Pathologic Anatomy and Histology, University of Siena, Italy.
Del Vecchio
M T
MT
Spina
D
D
Megha
T
T
Barbini
P
P
Sabattini
E
E
Pileri
S
S
Tosi
P
P
Kraft
R
R
Laissue
J A
JA
D017209:Apoptosis; D002455:Cell Division; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2