Expression of the bcl-2 gene and its significance in human pancreatic carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To elucidate the expression of the bcl-2 gene in association with both biological characteristics of human primary pancreatic carcinoma and patient's prognosis.


METHODS
The s-p immunohistochemistry assay was used to detect the expression of the bcl-2 gene on paraffin-embedded sections from 97 cases of primary pancreatic carcinoma, 32 cases of pancreatitis, and 21 cases of normal pancreas.


RESULTS
Among the 97 cases of pancreatic carcinoma, 70 (72.2%) showed positive staining for the bcl-2 protein. In the 32 cases of pancreatitis, 3 (9.4%) showed positive immunostaining for the bcl-2, and in the normal pancreas cases, 1 (4.8%) showed positive immunostaining for the bcl-2. However, the positive staining rates of the bcl-2 protein were lower in tumor tissue from the patients with metastases and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages III, IV than in those from those with non-metastases, well differentiation, non-invasion and TNM stages I, II. The patients with positive immunostaining of bcl-2 have a longer postoperative survival than those with negative staining.


CONCLUSIONS
Pancreatic carcinoma expressed a high positivity for bcl-2. Findings suggested that the overexpression of bcl-2 is related to the carcinogenesis and progression of human pancreatic carcinoma. Bcl-2 might be one of the parameters in terms of biological characteristics and good prognosis in patients with pancreatic carcinoma.
Sun
Cheng-Yi
CY
Department of Surgery, Guiyang Medical College, Guiyang 550004, China. scy@public.gz.cn
Wang
Bai-Lin
BL
Hu
Chao-Quan
CQ
Peng
Rui-Yun
RY
Gao
Ya-Bing
YB
Gu
Qing-Yang
QY
Wang
De-Wen
DW
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2