title: Expression of the apoptosis suppressing bcl-2 protein in transitional cell bladder tumours.
abstract: The expression of bcl-2 protein was studied by immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody in 158 cases of transitional cell bladder tumours. The bcl-2 protein was expressed in basal cells in normal transitional epithelium and 68% of the transitional cell tumours showed bcl-2 positivity in the basal cells. The expression of bcl-2 in basal cells was positively correlated to over-expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in tumour cells. The expression of bcl-2 in non-basal cells was weak in 20% and strong in an additional 13% of tumours. The expression of bcl-2 in non-basal cells was positively correlated to T-category, M-category, grade, papillary status, DNA ploidy, S phase fraction, mitotic index, nuclear area and over-expression of epidermal growth factor receptor. Recurrence-free interval of Ta-T1 tumours was related to bcl-2 positivity in non-basal cells. Tumours with bcl-2 positive non-basal cells had an unfavourable prognosis but, in multivariate analysis, expression of bcl-2 had no independent prognostic value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Lipponen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aaltomaa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eskelinen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2