Frequent expression of the cell death-inducing gene Bax in Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin's disease.
The expression of a cell death-inducing gene, Bax, was investigated in 52 cases of Hodgkin's disease in parallel with Epstein-Barr virus and was compared with the immunodetection of other apoptosis-regulating proteins, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and Bcl-x. Bax immunostaining was found in 92% of the cases, among them 28% with a strong signal in more than 75% of the Reed-Sternberg cells. Mcl-1 was positive in 80% of the cases, whereas Bcl-2 and Bcl-x were found in 53% and 88% of the cases, respectively. Of 48 (89%) Bax-positive tumors, 43 were found to express apoptosis-inhibiting proteins such as Mcl-1 or Bcl-2. With the exception of 1 case, all Bax-positive tumors also expressed either Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Mcl-1, or combinations of these anti-apoptotic proteins. No correlation was found between Bax expression and the presence of apoptotic cells as detected by morphology and the in situ 3' OH-DNA end-labeling technique. Our findings show that the apoptosis-inducing gene Bax expression is frequently expressed in Hodgkin's disease, providing a potential explanation for the good chemoresponses generally obtained for patients with this neoplastic disorder.
Brousset
P
P
Laboratoire d'Anatomie-Pathologique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Hôpital de Purpan, Toulouse, France.
Benharroch
D
D
Krajewski
S
S
Laurent
G
G
Meggetto
F
F
Rigal-Huguet
F
F
Gopas
J
J
Prinsloo
I
I
Pris
J
J
Delsol
G
G
Reed
J C
JC
Schlaifer
D
D
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
C494826:BAX protein, human; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein