Bfl-1 gene expression in breast cancer: its relationship with other prognostic factors.
The Bfl-1 gene, which was isolated from human fetal liver and only recently described, is a member of the Bcl-2 gene family. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was performed on RNA drawn from 30 breast cancer tissues to compare the expression of the Bfl-1 gene with other prognostic factors. The median relative ratio was 3.0 (range, 0.12-26.83) and the Bfl-1 gene expression rate was 36.7% (11/30). There was no statistically significant relationship between the clinicopathologic parameters of patients and the expression value of Bfl-1 gene. The level of Bfl-1 gene expression was higher in more advanced breast cancers than in early cancers. There was no significant relationship between the expression values and currently acknowledged prognostic factors, but a higher expression pattern was noticed in the groups of positive hormone receptors and negative p53 and negative c-erbB2, albeit statistically not significant. It seems that the increased expression of the Bfl-1 gene serves as a contributory factor in breast cancer, in the same way that another group of genes, the Bcl-2 family, contributes to apoptosis.
Yoon
Ho-Sung
HS
Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center and Ulsan University Hospital, Seoul, Korea. hsyoon@amc.seoul.kr
Hong
Sung-Hee
SH
Kang
Hee-Jun
HJ
Ko
Byung Kyun
BK
Ahn
Sei-Hyun
SH
Huh
Joo-Ryung
JR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
C096816:BCL2-related protein A1; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2