title: Detection and analysis of apoptosis in breast and ovarian cancer subjects--genetic studies.
abstract: Apoptotic cell death plays a central role in the pathogenesis and disease progression of cancer as well as in the response to treatment. In the present work we investigated the association between the presence of apoptotic peripheral blood cells in breast and ovarian cancer progression. Apoptosis was analysed in blood cells of breast (n=82) and ovarian cancer patients (n=79). Blood samples from age matched healthy women served as control (n=70). The apoptotic peripheral blood cells were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. The apoptotic cells were identified in 83% (68/82) of the breast cancers and in 65% of ovarian cancer patients (51/79). The number of positive samples was significantly higher among cancer samples than among control samples (p<0.05). Additionally, there were significant differences (p<0.05) in the presence of apoptosis between subgroups assigned to histological stage. The high frequency of apoptotic peripheral blood cells in breast and ovarian tumours suggests a potential role of apoptosis in cancer appearance and/or progression.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital, Lódź.
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kozłowska
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Romanowicz-Makowska
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zadrozny
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mankiewicz
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szyłło
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pertyński
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kulig
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smolarz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause
chemical_list: D004247:DNA