title: Prognostic value of bcl-2 expression in gastric cancer.
abstract: The bcl-2 protein has been shown to prevent apoptosis or programmed cell death and may play an important role for the regulation of tumour growth. Although expression of bcl-2 has been shown to correlate with a better prognosis in breast and lung carcinomas, information concerning the prognostic role of bcl-2 in gastric cancer on a considerable number of tumours is still lacking. In the present study, therefore, the expression and prognostic role of the bcl-2 protein was investigated immunohistochemically in 413 curatively resected gastric carcinomas. Bcl-2 expression was detected in 11.4% (n = 47) of the tumours and was significantly associated with the tumour classification according to Lauren (P < 0.001), 95% of the bcl-2-positive tumours being intestinal type, whereas all diffuse type or signet ring cell carcinomas were bcl-2-negative. No correlation was found between bcl-2 expression and the prognostic parameters depth of invasion (pT category), blood vessel and lymphatic vessel invasion. However, well and moderately differentiated tumours were more often bcl-2-positive than poorly differentiated tumours (P < 0.001), and lymph node negative tumours were more often bcl-2-positive than nodal positive tumours (P < 0.006). Concerning survival, there were no statistically significant differences between patients with bcl-2-positive tumours and patients with bcl-2-negative tumours. According to our results on 413 gastric carcinomas, in contrast to breast and lung cancer, bcl-2 expression has no prognostic impact in gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schneiders
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hommel
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Gabbert
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D017209:Apoptosis; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D012016:Reference Values; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2