title: Cell kinetics and apoptosis in laryngeal carcinoma patients.
abstract: Cellular proliferation and apoptosis are both implicated in the process of carcinogenesis. The objective of this study was to access the prognostic significance of the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the apoptosis-related genes (bax, bcl-2, and p53) in laryngeal carcinoma patients. Thirty consecutive patients with stage I to IV squamous cell laryngeal carcinoma were treated in our department from 1992 to 1994. We immunohistochemically studied the expression of PCNA and bax, bcl-2, and p53 genes in their tumor specimens. Five healthy men were used as the control group. The staining results were correlated with clinicopathologic data. The PCNA protein expression was correlated with a significantly worse survival in those patients who were bax-negative (0% versus 42.86%, p = .0445). Similarly, the presence of PCNA led to an unfavorable clinical outcome in those patients who were bax-negative, bcl-2-negative, and p53-negative (0% versus 50%, p = .0278). Expression of bcl-2 protein was found to be an independent prognostic factor related to an unfavorable clinical outcome (p = .0262). The expression of bcl-2 protein appears to predict survival in laryngeal carcinoma patients. Furthermore, the combined study of proliferation markers and apoptosis-related genes helped us to identify a high-risk group of patients who may benefit from a more aggressive treatment protocol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Hippocration Hospital, Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: Ilias P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Gomatos
authors.forename: Nikolaos B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Pararas
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giotakis
authors.forename: Eleutherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferekidis
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein