title: Expression of bcl-2, bax-xL, and bcl-xS in endometrial and cervical tissues.
abstract: We assessed the protein expression levels of bcl-2, bax, bcl-xL, and bcl-xS in a group of 51 endometrial cancers and 8 normal samples as well as in 59 cervical neoplasms and in 15 normal cervical tissues. Neoplastic endometria (median, 1.30 absorbance units [AU]; range, 0.13-7.26 AU) had slightly higher bcl-2 levels than did normal tissue (median, 0.83 AU; range, 0.29-1.90 AU; P < .068), whereas bcl-2 was lower in neoplastic (median, 3.59 AU; range, 0.13-19.86 AU) than in normal cervical samples (median, 8.45 AU; range, 2.09-15.04 AU; P < .010). Bcl-xL levels were higher in endometrial carcinoma (median, 1.23 AU; range, 0.03(4.29 AU) than in normal tissues (median, 0.56 AU; range, 0.46-1.48 AU; P < .048), whereas no significant difference was observed in cervical tissues. Bax levels did not show any variation in either system. The protein bcl-xS was marginally detectable in only a few samples. In endometrial carcinoma, bcl-2 and bcl-xL levels were correlated inversely (r = -0.27; P < .054), whereas in cervical cancer, they were correlated directly (r = +0.40; P < .002). The different expression patterns of bcl-2 family members in endometrial and cervical tissues confirm the hypothesis of a strictly tissue-specific regulation of these proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mozzetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrandina
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Ingiullo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fruscella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Pasqua
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scambia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein