title: Correlations of bcl-2 and p53 expression with the clinicopathological features in tongue squamous cell carcinomas.
abstract: bcl-2 oncogene prolongs cell survival by inhibition of apoptosis. p53 tumor suppressor gene participates not only in cell proliferation control but also in induction of apoptosis. The expression of both bcl-2 and p53 proteins in 52 primary tongue squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) was immunohistochemically explored in correlations with clinico-pathological features, patient's prognosis and apoptosis index (AI) of this tumor type. bcl-2 and p53 expression were identified in 26/52 (50%) cases and 31/52 (60%) cases, respectively. The frequency of bcl-2 expression was associated with tumor histologic grade (P = 0.0128) and marginally with mode of tumor invasion (P = 0.0671) but not with lymph nodal involvement. The frequency of p53 expression was associated with mode of tumor invasion (P = 0.0458) and pN status (P = 0.0224) but not with tumor histologic grade. Moreover, the three combined bcl-2/p53 staining patterns of bcl-2-/p53-, bcl-2+/p53- and bcl-2-/p53+, and bcl-2+/p53+ were significantly correlated with tumor histologic grade (P = 0.0299), mode of tumor invasion (P = 0.0022) and pN status (P = 0.0024). In addition, the frequent appearance of bcl-2 protein expression was associated with a decrease in AI (P = 0.0290). Our results suggest that the combined investigation on the two biological markers may have value in assessment of tumor aggressiveness, and that the suppressing mechanism of bcl-2 oncogene in regulation of apoptosis preserves in tongue SCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani, Japan. g4440144@ms.toyama-mpu.ac.jp
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Furuta
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53