title: The relationship of expression of bcl-2, p53, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) to cell proliferation and apoptosis in renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: To investigate the relationship of bcl-2, p53, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) to cell proliferation, apoptosis and pathological parameters, the patterns of cell growth and turnover in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from 34 patients with RCC were examined. Cell proliferation activity was detected by PCNA immunostaining and the proliferation index (PI) was expressed as a percentage of the PCNA-positive cells in the tumor cells. Apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxy- nucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL), and the apoptotic index (AI) was expressed as a percentage of the TUNEL-positive cells in the tumor cells. Expressions of bcl-2 and p53 were assessed immunohistochemically. Our results showed that the PI ranged from 6.0% to 24.0% (median 12.3%) and the AI from 2.0% to 8.0% (median 5.4%) in RCC. The expression of the bcl-2 protein was demonstrated in 15 cases (44.1%); the expression of the p53 protein, however, was seen in only 3 case. bcl-2 positivity was not associated with PI or AI or any pathological parameters. There were close associations between PI and tumor grade and stage, and a significant relationship between AI and the tumor grade of RCC, Our study suggests that bcl-2 positivity was not associated with PI or AI or any pathological parameters. There are close associations between PI and AI and tumor grade and stage of RCC. Active cell proliferation may be accompanied by frequent apoptosis in RCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Shian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Fuqing
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Gongcheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53