Immunohistochemical demonstration of bcl-2 protein in ameloblastoma.
The bcl-2 gene is known through its product, bcl-2 protein, which prevents apoptosis, and also by its expression in development, especially in sites characterized by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. In the developing tooth germ, bcl-2-protein is expressed in the epithelial component. In this study, we examined the expression of bcl-2 protein immunohistochemically in 25 ameloblastomas using a monoclonal antibody against anti-human bcl-2 oncoprotein. In all 25 cases, bcl-2 protein was found mainly in the outer layer of tumor cells, whereas the inner cells (stellate reticulum-like cells and squamoid cells) were negative. The bcl-2 protein is therefore thought to play a role in maintaining the stem-cell population in the peripheral layers of the tumor nests from which proliferating cells can be recruited.
Mitsuyasu
T
T
First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Harada
H
H
Higuchi
Y
Y
Kimura
K
K
Nakamura
N
N
Katsuki
T
T
Kubota
E
E
Toyoshima
K
K
Ohishi
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000564:Ameloblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004848:Epithelium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007573:Jaw Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014083:Tooth Germ / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2