title: Bcl-w expression in colorectal adenocarcinoma.
abstract: We have found that the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein, Bcl-w, was frequently expressed in colorectal adenocarcinomas, with 69/75 showing positive staining with anti-Bcl-w IgG. Adenomas demonstrated a much lower frequency of Bcl-w expression (only 1 of 17), as did adenocarcinomas from other epithelial tissues such as breast (0/8), stomach (1112) and cervix (0/12). Bcl-w status could be related to the histopathological classification of the tumours, with TNM stage III tumours showing significantly higher levels of expression than tumours of better prognostic grade (at P = 0.009). Those patients with node involvement also had tumours with significantly elevated levels of Bcl-w (at P = 0.02), compared to those which were node-negative. The results suggest that Bcl-w could play a general role in the progression from adenoma to adenocarcinoma in the colorectal epithelium. Currently, more data are being collected to allow us to assess the importance of Bcl-w for disease progression and patient survival.
authors.affiliation: CRC Epithelial Biology Laboratory, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nostro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Faraoni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cianchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Becciolini
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Potten
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012737:Sex Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491073:BCL2L2 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53