title: bcl-2 expression and prognosis in squamous-cell carcinomas of the esophagus.
abstract: The bcl-2 proto-oncogene is a known inhibitor of apoptosis and may be an important regulator of tumor growth. In the present study, bcl-2-protein expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry and correlated with prognosis in a series of 150 potentially curatively resected squamous-cell carcinomas of the esophagus. For comparison, bcl-2-protein expression was analyzed in normal esophageal mucosa, severe squamous dysplasias and carcinomas in situ. bcl-2 immunoreactivity was found in 40 out of 150 invasive squamous-cell carcinomas; the remaining carcinomas were completely negative. bcl-2-protein expression was found more frequently among poorly differentiated than among well-differentiated tumors (p < 0.0001). No correlation was found between bcl-2-protein expression and the parameters tumor size, depth of invasion and nodal status. Moreover, bcl-2-protein expression had no significant influence on overall survival. Whereas in normal mucosa bcl-2 immunoreactivity was restricted to the basal-cell layer, in 9 out of 15 severe squamous dysplasias and in 7 out of 14 carcinomas in situ bcl-2 staining was detected in all epithelial layers. Thus, bcl-2-protein is frequently expressed in invasive squamous-cell carcinomas of the esophagus and in precursor lesions of esophageal cancer, but has no significant impact on the outcome of esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarbia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bittinger
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porschen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verreet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dutkowski
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Willers
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Gabbert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2