title: [Expression of bcl-2 protein in uterine leiomyomas and normal myometrium].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the expression of the apoptosis regulatory protein bcl-2 in the uterine leiomyomas and in the normal myometrium.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of bcl-2 protein was examined by immunohistochemical ABC staining in 40 cases of uterine leiomyomas and normal myometrium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  bcl-2 expression was higher in the uterine leiomyomas than that in the normal myometrium, both in the proliferative phase and in the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle (P < 0.01); bcl-2 expression in leiomyomas in the secretory phase was stronger than that in the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increase of apoptosis inhabiting gene bcl-2 may play an important role in the growth of the uterine leiomyomas. This action may be regulated by progesterone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: B Q
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2