Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P10415 (Bcl-2)
 33,771 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We investigated the proportion of apoptotic cells and the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins after the delivery of the first week of irradiation for stage IIIb uterine cervical cancer. Thirty patients with stage IIIb squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix who received only irradiation therapy were registered in this study. Specimens were obtained before irradiation therapy and at the end of the first week of irradiation. The apoptotic index (AI) of each tissue specimen was calculated by counting the apoptotic cells and expressed as a percentage. Immunohistochemical evaluation for apoptosis-related proteins, p53, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-1 and caspase-3 was also performed. The AI was 0.8+/-0.9% (mean+/-SD) before irradiation and 1.7+/-1.3% at the end of the first week of irradiation. We observed that the patients who survived more than 5 years had AI levels of 2.1+/-1.3% at the end of their first week of therapy. This rate was significantly higher than the rate of 1.1+/-0.8% (P=0.02) of the patients who died within 5 years. When the cut-off value of the AI was set at 1.7%, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for the prediction of patients' prognosis after irradiation therapy were 73.4%, 72.4%, 82.4%, and 61.5%, respectively. In 17 of the AI-positive cases, expressions of Bax (P=0.006), caspase-1 (P=0.045), and caspase-3 (P=0.013) at the end of the first week were significantly higher than before irradiation. The proportion of apoptotic cells and the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins, Bax, caspase-1, and caspase-3, at the end of the first week of irradiation could be useful predictors of the prognosis in stage IIIb squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix treated by irradiation therapy.
 ...
PMID:Detection of apoptosis and expression of apoptosis-associated proteins as early predictors of prognosis after irradiation therapy in stage IIIb uterine cervical cancer. 1074 54

To analyze relevant factors and their effects on neoplastic progression in cervical carcinoma, a panel of genetic markers was studied. Paraffin-embedded tissue sections were obtained from 37 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix, 14 noninvasive squamous cell carcinomas (NISCCs), and 23 invasive squamous cell carcinomas (ISCCs). Immunoreactivity of Msh2, Mlh1, Fhit, p53, Bcl-2, and Bax proteins was examined by immunohistochemical staining with appropriate antibodies. Positive staining of Msh2 was detected in 13 of 14 (92.9%) NISCCs and in 13 of 23 (56.5%) ISCCs (P < 0.02). Mlh1 immunoreactivity was observed in 10 of 14 (71.4%) NISCCs and in 8 of 23 (34.8%) ISCCs (P < 0.04). Overexpression of p53 protein was found in 4 of 14 (28.6%) NISCCs and in 16 of 23 (69.6%) ISCCs (P < 0.02). Bcl-2 overexpression was detected in 2 of 14 (14.3%) NISCCs and in 15 of 23 (65.2%) ISCCs (P < 0.003). No significant difference in the two types of lesion was found for Bax and Fhit expression. The relationship between Mlh1, Msh2, and p53 protein expression was significant (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively), as was that between Fhit and Bax immunoreactivity (P < 0.02). In conclusion, we consider that altered expression of Msh2, Mlh1, p53, and Bcl-2 may be a critical event during cervical cancer progression, whereas Fhit may be a component of a proapoptotic pathway.
 ...
PMID:Msh2, Mlh1, Fhit, p53, Bcl-2, and Bax expression in invasive and in situ squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. 1099 51

Bcl-2 protein together with the pro-apoptotic protein bax, are thought to function by forming homo- and heterotypic dimers which control the progression to apoptosis. In this immunohistochemical study we investigated the expression of bcl-2 and bax apoptosis related proteins in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Twenty-four cervical intraepithelial neoplasias grade 1-2 (CIN I/II), 38 grade 3 (CIN III), and 53 invasive squamous cell carcinomas (ISCC) were investigated by immunohistochemical staining for bcl-2 and bax protein. Bcl-2 immunoreactivity was found in five of the 24 CIN I/II cases (20.8%), 18 of 38 CIN II cases (47.4%) and nine of 53 ISCC cases (17%). The positivity for CIN III was significantly higher than for CIN I/II or ISCC (p=0.0351 and p=0.0018, respectively). The percentage of bax immunopositivity was somewhat higher in CIN III than in CIN I/II but this slight difference was not statistically significant. Correlation of the immunostaining results with tumor grade revealed a significant difference for bcl-2 which was more frequently immunopositive in well-differentiated tumors than in poorly-differentiated tumors. There was no significant relation between bax expression and tumor differentiation. Our results suggest that alterations of bcl-2 and bax expression may occur as a relatively early event in cervical tumorigenesis.
 ...
PMID:Expression of bcl-2 and bax in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. 1119 41

The aim of this study was to analyse whether DNA ploidy correlates with proliferative activity as measured by PCNA expression, presence of oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPVs), histological grade, expression of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and clinical outcome in a cohort of 57 preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the uterine cervix. The samples were analysed using computer image cytomorphometry of Feulgen stained sections, standard indirect immunohistochemistry and hybridisation of HPV DNA in situ. The ploidy data were found to be significantly different between low/high grade preneoplasia and invasive carcinoma. Significant positive relationships were also found between DNA content and proliferation of lesions, and DNA content and clinical behavior of the lesions. Nevertheless, no relationship between DNA ploidy and HPV/Bcl-2 status was established.
 ...
PMID:DNA ploidy correlates with grade, proliferation and clinical outcome but not with presence of human oncogenic HPVs or expression of Bcl-2 in preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the uterine cervix. 1171 78

The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins was studied with immunohistochemistry, immuoblotting and RT-PCR in the uterine horn- and uterine cervix-projecting neurons of the inferior mesenteric ganglion (IMG) of the sexually immature gilts after partial or total hysterectomy. Additionally, the expression of regeneration-associated protein GAP-43 was studied in these neurons with immunohistochemistry. The uterus-projecting neurons were identified with retrograde fluorescent tracer Fast Blue (FB). The weak immunoreactivity to Bcl-2 and GAP-43 and moderately intense immunoreactivity to Bax was revealed in all FB+ (FB+) neurons of control and hysterectomized pigs. No difference in the intensity of immunostaining for Bcl-2, Bax and GAP-43 was found between control and hysterectomized gilts. Immunoblotting revealed the presence of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in IMGs of control and hysterectomized animals and no difference in the band intensities between control and experimental groups was detected. RT-PCR detected weak induction of bcl-2 and bax only in the ganglia of animals which had undergone total hysterectomy. It was found that the axotomy of the uterus-projecting neurons located in the porcine IMG did not change the expression of the studied substances (Bcl-2, Bax and GAP-43) at protein level and only the induction of bcl-2 and bax at the level of RNA was visible.
 ...
PMID:Effect of total or partial uterus extirpation on uterus-projecting neurons in porcine inferior mesenteric ganglion. C. Changes in expression of apoptosis-associated (Bcl-2 and Bax) and regeneration-associated (GAP-43) proteins. 1281 86

Deregulation of the apoptotic machinery plays a major role in cell death, cellular transformation and cancer. p53, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bax and Mdm2 mRNA expression patterns were evaluated in tissue samples with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer compared to those of normal cervical tissues, and correlated with the underlying cervical lesions. Transcript levels of the above genes were assessed by RT-PCR analysis in a total of 44 cervical specimens. p53, Bcl-2, Bax and Mdm2 transcript levels were significantly different in the normal, CIN and cancer specimen groups (p=0.003, p=0.009, p=0.040 and p=0.001, respectively). Specifically, p53, Bax and Bcl-2 exhibited substantially lower transcript levels in CIN lesions compared to controls, whereas Bax mRNA levels showed a significant decrease in cancer compared to normal specimens. Mdm2 mRNA expression was considerably lower in cancer than in CIN lesions or normal cervix. High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions exhibited lower p53 and Bcl-2 mRNA levels than controls (p=0.002, p=0.016). Coexpression analysis revealed more correlations between the above apoptosis-related molecules in normal tissues compared to CIN or cancer specimens. p53 showed significant coexpression with Bax, Bcl-2 and Mdm2 (p=0.040, p=0.013 and p=0.015, respectively) in normal cervical specimens. Bax and Bcl-XL mRNA expression was negatively correlated. Mdm2 transcriptional levels correlated significantly with those of Bax, Bcl-XL and Bcl-2. Our findings show that p53, Bax, Bcl-2 and Mdm2 mRNA expression levels correlate with the malignant transformation of the uterine cervix. mRNA coexpression patterns of the members of the pro- and anti-apoptotic family examined in cervical carcinogenesis were found to be disrupted in CIN and cancer, as already demonstrated at the protein level.
 ...
PMID:Transcriptional inactivation of p53, Bax, Bcl-2 and Mdm2 correlates with malignant transformation of the uterine cervix. 1583 69

We studied Bcl-2 proto-oncogene expression in dysplastic and malignant lesions of the uterine cervix and looked for a relation between its incidence and tumor histopathologic type and tumor differentiation grade. We used immunohistochemical reaction with a Bcl-2 specific monoclonal antibody in order to identify this protein in 40 patients' biopsies. We noticed a Bcl-2 nuclear immunoreaction in high differentiated squamous carcinomas, whereas a positive cytoplasmic reaction of a granular pattern was registered in low differentiated types. Distribution and intensity of Bcl-2 reaction final product was correlated with tumor differentiation grade in 29 of all studied cases (72.5%). Immunostaining technique may be an important adjuvant factor for a more accurate prognosis.
 ...
PMID:[Aspects of Bcl-2 proto-oncogene expression in dysplastic and malignant lesions of the uterine cervix]. 1600 25

To investigate the relationship between apoptosis and histologic types in invasive squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. The present study involved the assessment of surgical specimens from 74 women with cervical carcinomas FIGO stage IB1 (54 squamous cell carcinomas and 20 adenocarcinomas). The study samples were obtained from selected paraffin blocks containing specimens from patients submitted to surgical procedures. The respective medical charts of patients were reviewed and epidemiologic, clinical and disease-related data were collected. Cervical specimens were assessed by the immunohistochemistry technique using the Bcl-2 protein as a marker. The reactions were considered positive when the cells became stained in brown color. Bcl-2 positive cells were counted in 10 fields under a high magnification (400x) using light microscopy, in the slides area containing squamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the cervix. The total cell count was expressed as the number of positive Bcl-2 cells per mm(2). No significant difference in the number of cells marked by the Bcl-2 protein was found for the variables age, tumor diameter, angiolymphatic invasion or number of lymph nodes affected. Comparison of the number of cells marked by the Bcl-2 protein in the two histological groups revealed a statistically significant difference, with squamous tumors presenting a greater number of marked cells. Squamous cervical tumors present a greater number of positive Bcl-2 cells per mm(2), suggesting that that the rate of cell death in squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix is lower than in adenocarcinomas.
...
PMID:Apoptosis Phenomena in Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Adenocarcinomas of the Uterine Cervix. 2568 39

Deregulation of the apoptotic machinery plays a major role in cell death, cellular transformation and cancer. p53, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bax and Mdm2 mRNA expression patterns were evaluated in tissue samples with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer compared to those of normal cervical tissues, and correlated with the underlying cervical lesions. Transcript levels of the above genes were assessed by RT-PCR analysis in a total of 44 cervical specimens. p53, Bcl-2, Bax and Mdm2 transcript levels were significantly different in the normal, CIN and cancer specimen groups (p=0.003, p=0.009, p=0.040 and p=0.001, respectively). Specifically, p53, Bax and Bcl-2 exhibited substantially lower transcript levels in CIN lesions compared to controls, whereas Bax mRNA levels showed a significant decrease in cancer compared to normal specimens. Mdm2 mRNA expression was considerably lower in cancer than in CIN lesions or normal cervix. High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions exhibited lower p53 and Bcl-2 mRNA levels than controls (p=0.002, p=0.016). Coexpression analysis revealed more correlations between the above apoptosis-related molecules in normal tissues compared to CIN or cancer specimens. p53 showed significant coexpression with Bax, Bcl-2 and Mdm2 (p=0.040, p=0.013 and p=0.015, respectively) in normal cervical specimens. Bax and Bcl-XL mRNA expression was negatively correlated. Mdm2 transcriptional levels correlated significantly with those of Bax, Bcl-XL and Bcl-2. Our findings show that p53, Bax, Bcl-2 and Mdm2 mRNA expression levels correlate with the malignant transformation of the uterine cervix. mRNA coexpression patterns of the members of the pro- and anti-apoptotic family examined in cervical carcinogenesis were found to be disrupted in CIN and cancer, as already demonstrated at the protein level. (Int J Biol Markers 2005; 20: 18-27).
 ...
PMID:Transcriptional inactivation of p53, Bax, Bcl-2 and Mdm2 correlates with malignant transformation of the uterine cervix. 2820