Prognostic significance of apoptotic index and bcl-2 and p53 expression in epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if bcl-2 and p53 expression, and apoptotic index (AI) were associated with patient outcome in epithelial carcinomas of the ovary (EOC) and therefore useful as prognostic factors to predict survival.


METHODS
A total of 50 women with epithelial carcinomas of the ovary were retrospectively analyzed. The archival paraffin-embedded material of of these cases were evaluated for expression of p53 and bcl-2 by immunohistochemical techniques. Apoptotic cells were detected with an in situ hybridisation method.


RESULTS
A total of 33 (66%) of 50 cases showed positive immunoreactivity for the p53 antibody. Twenty-four of the 50 cases showed positive bcl-2 protein expression. Median value for AI was found to be 2.48. No statistically significant association was found between bcl-2 and p53 expression and clinicopathologic features. Univariate survival analysis of AI failed to reveal any effect on prognosis in the study population.


CONCLUSIONS
We found neither p53 nor bcl-2 immunoreactivity to be of prognostic significance in patients with EOC. In addition, AI was not found to be an independent prognostic factor.
Berker
B
B
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey.
Dunder
I
I
Ensari
A
A
Cengiz
S D
SD
Simsek
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53