[Bax and bcl-2 imbalance and HPB infection in penile tumors and adjacent tissues].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the expression pattern of apoptotic related proteins Bax and Bcl-2 and HPV virus infection in samples of penile carcinomas and adjacent tissues.


METHODS
Bax and Bcl-2 were assayed by Western Blot and HPV virus presence by PCR in 16 tumor samples, 11 adjacent skin and 10 adjacent corpus cavernosum samples. Normal penile tissues were used as controls.


RESULTS
Comparative to control samples, tumors showed an imbalance in Bax and Bcl-2 expression. These alterations were also observed in tumor adjacent tissues. We found that 37.5% (6/16) of our samples were infected by HPV.


CONCLUSIONS
Bax and Bcl-2 imbalance is probably associated with the neoplastic process. No correlation between Bax/Bcl-2 balance and patient age and tumor differentiation was found. HPV infection should not be the major cause for penis cancer development.
Nascimento
Patricia de Souza
Pde S
Département de Génétique, Institut de Biologie, UFRJ, Brésil.
Ornellas
Antonio Augusto
AA
Campos
Mèrcia Mendes
MM
Scheiner
Marcos Antonio Mauricio
MA
Fiedler
Wolfgang
W
Alves
Gilda
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D010412:Penile Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
C494826:BAX protein, human; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
Déséquilibre de Bax, Bcl-2, et infection par HPV dans les tumeurs du pénis et les tissus adjacents.