title: Significance of apoptosis related proteins on malignant transformation of ovarian tumors: A comparison between Bcl-2/Bax ratio and p53 immunoreactivity.
abstract: In this study, we compared the immunoreactivities of Bcl-2, Bax and p53 proteins in ovarian tumors and related the immunohistochemical findings to the histological type of the tumors. Formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded tissue sections from 40 patients who had serous-mucinous borderline tumors and serous-mucinous adenocarcinoma of the ovary (n=10 each) were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E). After histopathological examination, serial sections were stained immunohistochemically with primary antibodies to Bcl-2, Bax and p53 using an avidin-biotin-peroxidase method. A semi-quantitative grading system was used to compare the immunohistochemical staining intensities. The nuclear DNA fragmentation of apoptosis was determined using TUNEL method. As a result of immunohistochemical staining, increased immunoreactivity of Bcl-2 was observed in adenocarcinomas when compared to borderline tumors (P<0.001). Strong immunoreactivity of Bcl-2 and mild immunoreactivities of Bax and p53 were detected in ovarian adenocarcinomas. There were no significant statistical differences in the immunoreactivity of Bax among the histological type of ovarian tumors. Whereas a balance was observed between the immunoreactivities of Bcl-2 and Bax in the borderline cases, and this balance was strongly changed toward the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein in patients with adenocarcinoma. TUNEL staining of sections indicated apoptotic cells in the serous borderline tumors were about 8-fold higher than in the serous adenocarcinoma. The results of this study on apoptosis-related factors might help to develop novel protective and therapeutic approaches, such as isoflavonoids and isothiocyanates, which were associated with decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio, against the malignant epithelial ovarian tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Medical School, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey. Electronic address: tamerzeren@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeren
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevinc
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inan
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: H Seda
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Vatansever
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Aegean Gynecology and Maternity Training and Research Hospital, Yenisehir, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sayhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
keywords: Apoptosis; Bcl-2 protein family; Immunoreactivity; Ovarian tumor; p53