title: Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cells preferentially express Bcl-xL.
abstract: Several recently identified proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-x have been found to regulate programmed cell death (i.e., apoptosis). In this report, we examined the levels of expression of proteins that can either prevent apoptosis (i.e., Bcl-2 or the long form of Bcl-x, designated Bcl-x1) or promote apoptosis (i.e., Bax or the short form of Bcl-x, designated Bcl-xs) in proliferating benign and malignant endothelial cells (ECs). In normal skin with quiescent ECs, no detection by immunohistochemical staining was observed for Bcl-xL, Bcl-xs, or Bcl-2. However, in diseased skin samples that feature a prominent angiogenic response such as in psoriasis or pyogenic granulomas, the proliferating ECs markedly overexpressed Bcl-xL, with little to no Bcl-2. In an acquired-immune-deficiency-syndrome-related neoplasm, Kaposi's sarcoma, the spindle-shaped tumor cells also overexpressed Bcl-xL compared with Bcl-2. These in vivo studies were extended in vitro using cultured ECs and Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cells that were examined by flow cytometry and immunoblot analysis. Both cultured ECs and Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cells express significantly higher levels of Bcl-xL than Bcl-2. Such overexpression of cell survival gene products may contribute to prolonging the longevity of EC-derived cells in several different benign and neoplastic skin disorders that are characterized by a prominent angiogenic tissue response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, USA.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Foreman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wrone-Smith
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Boise
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Polverini
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Simonian
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nunez
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Nickoloff
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017789:Granuloma, Pyogenic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins