Role of bcl-2 in endometrioid corpus cancer: an experimental study.
BACKGROUND
Bcl-2 expression appears to be under hormonal control in normal endometrium and to correlate with hormone receptor status in endometrial cancer. The aim of this study was to assess bcl-2 expression in endometrial cancer.


METHODS
Hysterectomy specimens from 125 patients with endometrial cancer were stained for bcl-2. Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) levels were quantified with a dextran-coated charcoal assay.


RESULTS
Bcl-2 expression correlated significantly with endometrioid histology and high levels of ER and PR (p < 0.05). For the entire population, bcl-2 expression was not significantly associated with the presence of extrauterine disease. However, when only patients with grade 1 or 2 endometrioid histology were considered, tumors with bcl-2 expression were significantly (p < 0.05) more likely to present with extrauterine disease than those not expressing bcl-2.


CONCLUSIONS
Bcl-2-mediated inhibition of apoptosis may be important in the acquisition of molecular alterations and development of metastases in a subset of hormone-dependent endometrial cancers.
Mariani
Andrea
A
Division of Gynecologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Sebo
Thomas J
TJ
Cliby
William A
WA
Keeney
Gary L
GL
Riehle
Darren L
DL
Lesnick
Timothy G
TG
Podratz
Karl C
KC
D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone