title: Expression of Bax, Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 proteins in relation to grade of inflammation and stage of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the expression of regulators of apoptosis in chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of Bax, Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 proteins was assessed immunohistochemically in liver biopsy specimens obtained from 89 adults with chronic hepatitis C. Expression of Bax in hepatocytes correlated inversely with grade of inflammation (P < 0.001) and stage of fibrosis (P = 0.011), classified according to the Scheuer score; expression of Bcl-xL in hepatocytes did not correlate with grade of inflammation (P = 0.106) or stage of fibrosis (P = 0.078); maximum Bcl-xL expression was observed in grade 3 inflammation and stage 4 fibrosis. Expression of Bcl-2 protein in hepatocytes was present in only two cases (both with advanced disease); the expression of Bcl-2 protein in interlobular bile duct epithelial cells correlated with the grade of inflammation (P = 0.018), but not with stage of fibrosis (P = 0.154). The expression of Bcl-2 protein in lymphoid cells infiltrating portal zones and lobules did not correlate with grade of inflammation (P = 0.113) or stage of fibrosis (P = 0.815).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Major differences in expression of studied proteins were observed in relation to grade of inflammation and stage of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Chair of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. annapiekar@op.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piekarska
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kubiak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Omulecka
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Szymczak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piekarski
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D015415:Biomarkers; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein