title: Bag-1 expression in thyroid neoplasm: its correlation with Bcl-2 expression and carcinoma dedifferentiation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is one of the promnent factors in the evaluation of carcinoma characteristics. It is well-known that bcl-2 and its related proteins significantly modulate apoptosis. Bag-1 is a recently identified bcl-2-related protein and is known to be linked to the biological aggressiveness of some carcinomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We immunohistochemically investigated bag-1 and bcl-2 expression in various thyroid neoplasms using monoclonal antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High bag-1 expression was observed in 66.7% of follicular adenoma and 75.0% of follicular carcinoma, and no statistical difference was established between them. In papillary carcinoma, 60.7% were classified with high bag-1 expression, whereas only 4.5% of anaplastic (undifferentiated) carcinoma highly expressed bag-1, and the incidence was significantly lower (p < 0.0001) than in papillary and follicular carcinomas. Furthermore, in thyroid neoplasm, bag-1 expression was directly linked (p < 0.0001) to bcl-2 expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that bag-1 may interact with bcl-2 to play an important role in thyroid neoplasm before anaplastic transformation, and the disruption of events mediated by bag-1 and bcl-2 may be a typical characteristic of undifferentiated carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kuma Hospital, 8-2-35, Shimoyamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0011, Japan. ito01@kuma-h.or.jp
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Yuuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takamura
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miya
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tamotsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokozawa
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Matsuzuka
authors.forename: Nariaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Kennichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kakudo
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuma
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: C091732:BCL2-associated athanogene 1 protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014157:Transcription Factors