title: Quantitative analysis detects ubiquitous expression of apoptotic regulators in B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
abstract: To determine whether the expression levels of Bcl-2 family apoptotic regulators are correlated with the histopathological heterogeneity of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL), we quantified their expression in malignant B cell populations isolated from 33 biopsy samples, including small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL, n = 9), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL, n = 8), follicular lymphoma (FL, n = 8), and diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL, n = 8). Normal B cells purified from reactive lymph nodes and tonsil (n = 3) were used as controls. Cell lysates were analyzed by Western blotting, and signals quantified by densitometry. Expression of Bcl-2 and its homologues, Bcl-xL, Bcl-xS, Bax, Bad, Bak and Bag-1, was detected in all NHL cases, with wide variations between histological subtypes and within each subtype. Statistically significant differences were: (1) a higher level of Bad expression in DLCL compared to FL and MCL; (2) a lower level of Bak expression in FL compared to DLCL, SLL and MCL; and (3) a higher Bag-1 expression level in FL compared to SLL. When compared to NHL cells, normal B cells showed a higher level of Bax expression, and a lower level of Bcl-xL expression. Thus, quantitative analysis shows ubiquitous expression of Bcl-2 family proteins in normal and neoplastic B cells; the variations in expression levels may contribute to both the B-NHL clinicopathological diversity and the different apoptotic sensitivities of normal B cells vs B-NHL cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematopathology, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xerri
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Devilard
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bouabdallah
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hassoun
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chaperot
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Birg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plumas
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001706:Biopsy; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein
chemical_list: C494819:BAD protein, human; C494826:BAX protein, human; C091732:BCL2-associated athanogene 1 protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein