The role of p53, Bcl-2 and Ki-67 in premalignant cervical lesions and cervical cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the role of p53, Bcl-2 and Ki-67 expression in the carcinogenesis of cervical carcinoma and aggressiveness of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).


METHODS
The pathology specimens of 63 patients with a diagnosis of normal squamous epithelium (22 cases), CIN I (14), CIN II (5), CIN III (8) and squamous cell carcinoma (14) were evaluated immunohistochemically for the expression of p53, Bcl-2 and Ki-67 in paraffin sections.


RESULTS
The expression of p53 and Ki-67 increased proportionally to the grade of CIN and cervical cancer, but only the increase of p53 expression was statistically significant (p = 0.002). There was no significant correlation between Bcl-2 expression and premalignant and malignant cervical lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
p53 expression may have a role in the carcinogenesis of squamous cell cervical carcinoma whereas Bcl-2 expression has no role. Ki-67 expression can not be used in determining the aggressiveness of CIN lesions.
Türkçüoğlu
I
I
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Tezcan
S
S
Kaygusuz
G
G
Atabekoğlu
C Somer
CS
Ortaç
F
F
Güngör
M
M
Kankaya
D
D
Sertçelik
A
A
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53