Title: Expression of Bcl-2 Protein (Bcl-2) in Cutaneous Neoplasms - An Immunohistochemical Study of 259 Benign and Malignant-Tumors of the Skin
Abstract: The bcl-2 is a proto-oncogene belonging to a new category of oncogenes that are not involved in the mechanisms of cell proliferation, but influence tissue homoeostasis regulating cell death. Expression of bcl-2 protein (Bcl-2) has been observed in most follicular lymphomas and in approximately 25% of high-grade, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the lymph nodes, as well as In non-lymphoid tumours such as carcinomas of the lung and breast among others. In this study we analyzed Bcl-2 expression in 259 cases of benign (110 cases) and malignant (149 cases) cutaneous neoplasms. For the immunohistochemical staining we used a monoclonal anti-Bcl-2 antibody with a microwave-enhanced 3-step immunoperoxidase technique on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Bcl-2 expression could be detected in the majority of benign tumours with follicular, eccrine, melanocytic or nerve sheath differentiation. Among malignant neoplasms, all biopsy specimens of basal cell carcinoma and most cases of Merkel cell (neuroendocrine) carcinoma and malignant melanoma (including metastatic melanoma) expressed the protein. Other benign and malignant cutaneous tumours included in this study showed a negative reaction. Our results indicate that Bcl-2 in normal skin suggests that protein expression may be due to maintenance of the original phenotype by neoplastic cells. The anti-apoptotic features of Bcl-2, on the other hand, may implicate that expression of the protein is one of the (co)-mechanisms of neoplastic growth in Bcl-2-positive tumours.
Publication Year: 1995
Publication Date: 1995-10-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 3
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