title: Expression of bcl-2 in lichen planus, acute graft-versus-host disease, and erythema multiforme.
abstract: The bcl-2 gene family plays a significant role in the propagation of cell survival and tissue modeling. Bcl-2 was originally described in follicular lymphomas and is associated with the suppresion of cellular apoptosis. Evaluation for this protein has been performed for a variety of benign and malignant cutaneous tumors but not to any significant extent on inflammatory disorders. Therefore, we stained biopsy specimens from diseases with interface inflammation (lichen planus, acute graft-versus-host disease, and erythema multiforme) for Bcl-2. Epidermal expression of this protein was minimal for all three diseases; however, lymphocytes stained prominently in lichen planus. The data suggest that Bcl-2 is not prominently involved in the epidermal changes in these diseases. The role of other members of this oncogene family in interface dermatitis still needs to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, The Vanderbilt Clinic, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nanney
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D004892:Erythema Multiforme / Q000378:metabolism*; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2