Bcl-2 protein and DNA ploidy in renal cell carcinoma: do they affect patient prognosis?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to correlate bcl-2 protein expression and DNA-ploidy status with established prognostic parameters in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and to examine their impact on disease progression and patient survival.


METHODS
Both parameters were prospectively measured in 50 consecutive radical nephrectomy specimens using flow cytometry. They were correlated with the tumor grade, stage and histological type. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for all parameters was performed.


RESULTS
Bcl-2 protein expression was higher in RCC compared to normal renal tissue (P < 0.0001). Aneuploid tumors had higher bcl-2 expression compared to diploid tumors (P = 0.015). Bcl-2 expression and DNA content were not correlated with tumor histological types (P = 0.277/P = 0.419), grades (P = 0.690/P = 0.449), T categories (P = 0.637/P = 0.585) or stages (P = 0.726/P = 0.800). Median follow-up time was 46 months (range, 5-84) with a mean overall survival of 61.8 months (95% confidence interval, 53.7-69.9). Tumor stage was the only statistically important prognostic factor (P = 0.0045).


CONCLUSIONS
Although Bcl-2 expression was correlated with tumor DNA content, the prognostic value of these two parameters following radical nephrectomy was not established.
First Department of Urology, University of Athens, School of Medicine, Athens, Greece. andskol@yahoo.com
Andreas
A
Skolarikos
Gerasimos
G
Alivizatos
Aristotelis
A
Bamias
Dionysios
D
Mitropoulos
Nikolaos
N
Ferakis
Charalampos
C
Deliveliotis
Meletios-Athanasios
MA
Dimopoulos
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016196:S Phase; D016019:Survival Analysis
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2