title: bcl-2 vs p53 protein expression and apoptotic rate in human nonmelanoma skin cancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A failure in the apoptotic response after severe genomic damage could facilitate cell transformation and tumor development, and a constitutive overexpression of either p53 or bcl-2 protein in nonapoptotic tumor cells could signify a defective bax-mediated apoptosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether a negative correlation occurs between these 2 proteins in nonmelanoma skin cancer and whether overexpression of either protein is associated with a low rate of spontaneous apoptosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical study of nonmelanoma skin cancer archive material.
  
  
  METHODS
  University referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  White patients with tumors on sun-exposed skin areas (ie, 17 basal cell carcinomas and 22 squamous cell carcinomas).
  
  
  METHODS
  Positivity for p53 and bcl-2 were scored semiquantitatively on 4 levels, and the percentages of apoptotic cells were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant negative correlation between p53 and bcl-2 expression was found in the basal cell carcinomas, but not in the squamous cell carcinomas, largely attributable to the low level of bcl-2 staining in the squamous cell carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinomas have a significantly higher number of apoptotic cells than basal cell carcinomas: 1.1% vs 0.6%, respectively. This spontaneous apoptosis decreases with increasing bcl-2 (in basal cell carcinoma), whereas it does not appear to be related to p53 level expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that a disturbance in either p53 or bcl-2 suffices to enhance skin tumor formation by suppressing apoptosis; bcl-2 appears to reduce the rate of spontaneous apoptosis, but an aberrant p53 expression does not, and this factor may solely affect the apoptosis from exogenous genotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Wikonkal
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: van Haselen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Horkay
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Remenyik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Begany
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hunyadi
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: van Vloten
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: de Gruijl
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53