[Comparison of pBcl-2 and pBax expression in primary invasive ductal pancreatic cancer between Chinese and Japanese patients].
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the clinicopathologic significance of the expression of the Bcl-2 protein (pBcl-2) and the Bax protein (pBax), and their clinical implications in Chinese and Japanese patients with human invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) of the pancreas.


METHODS
The study included 59 Chinese and 65 Japanese patients with IDCs of the pancreas. pBcl-2 and pBax expression were immuno-stained with streptavidin-biotin (SAB) method.


RESULTS
pBcl-2 (+) was seen in 35.6% of Chinese and in 23.1% of Japanese patients. pBax (+) was seen in 49.2% of Chinese and 64.7% of Japanese patients. A comparison between them showed that there were significant differences in the male patients, in the patients with the moderately differentiated cancer, and in the elderly patients (chi squared = 4.447, P = 0.035; chi squared = 4.114, P = 0.043; chi squared = 6.657, P = 0.010 respective). In both Chinese and Japanese patients, those with pBcl-2 positive expression had a significantly higher survival rate than those with negative one (chi squared = 9.99, P = 0.0016; chi squared = 7.63, P = 0.0058). The group with pBax positive expression had a significantly higher survival rate in Japanese patients (chi squared = 9.37, P = 0.0022). Japanese patients whose tumors exhibited pBcl-2 and pBax positive immunostaining survived significantly longer than Chinese patients did (chi squared = 4.48, P = 0.0342; chi squared = 5.23, P = 0.023).


CONCLUSIONS
The expressions of both pBcl-2 and pBax are high found in Chinese and Japanese patients. The pBcl-2 positive expression implies a better prognosis in both Chinese and Japanese patients with IDCs of the pancreas. The effect of pBax expression on prognosis is different between Chinese and Japanese patients.
Zhou
Jian-ping
JP
Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.
Dong
Ming
M
Nio
Yoshinori
Y
Kong
Fan-min
FM
Zheng
Xin-yu
XY
Guo
Ke-jian
KJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein