title: Significance of Bax expression in breast cancer patients.
abstract: Bax protein, the proapoptotic member of Bcl-2 protein family, plays the key role in apoptosis pathway. THE AIM OF THE STUDY was to assess the expression of Bax protein in breast cancer cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two breast cancer patients were included in the study. The control group encompassed 11 fibroadenoma patients. Single cells were isolated from defrosted samples and prepared for flow cytometry measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median expression of Bax protein in study group was 7.9% (range: 0-49.4%) and was significantly lower than in control (median expression 15.8%; range 4.9-30.9%; p=0.034). Expression of Bax correlated with expression of p53 and caspase-3 proteins (p<0.01, rank Spearman test). In patients under 70 years old and with positive estrogen receptors status the expression of Bax protein was significantly higher (p=0.03 and p=0.01 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower expression of Bax protein in breast cancer cells may suggest the potential way of apoptosis avoidance of tumor cells. Correlations among Bax protein, p53 and caspase-3 are likely associated with active apoptotic mechanism in breast cancer cells expressing Bax protein. Further investigation with long time follow-up should be performed to establish the prognostic role of Bax protein expression in breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Medical University in Łódź.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pluta
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smolewski
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pluta
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cebula-Obrzut
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wierzbowska
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nejc
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Robak
authors.forename: Radzisław
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kordek
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gottwald
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piekarski
authors.forename: Arkadiusz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeziorski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D053148:Caspase 3