Expression of the apoptosis-related oncogenes bcl-2, bax, and p53 in Merkel cell carcinoma: Can they predict treatment response and clinical outcome?

Meora Feinmesser*, Marisa Halpern, Eyal Fenig, Cohava Tsabari, Emmilia Hodak, Jaqueline Sulkes, Baruch Brenner, Elimelech Okon

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy act predominantly through the induction of apoptosis in malignancies. Merkel cell carcinoma, an aggressive malignancy with prominent apoptosis, has proved to be sensitive to both modes to a certain degree. We used immunohistochemical methods to examine 25 Merkel cell carcinomas and 8 of their lymph node metastases to assess the status of the antiapoptotic gene bcl-2 and 2 proapoptotic genes, wild-type p53 and bax. All tumors showed prominent bax immunopositivity; 76% were positive for bcl- 2, and only 28% were positive for p53, the latter presumably reflecting mutated p53. No statistically significant relationship was found between tumor immunopositivity and therapy response or survival. The widespread bax immunopositivity and the apparently low rate of p53 mutations, as suggested by the low rate of p53 immunopositivity, may be related to the presence of prominent apoptosis in Merkel cell carcinoma. The finding of bcl-2 immunopositivity in 76% of the tumors suggests that some of the tumor cells may be resistant to apoptosis-inducing agents.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1367-1372
Number of pages6
JournalHuman Pathology
Volume30
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1999

Keywords

  • Apoptosis
  • Merkel cell carcinoma
  • Proapoptotic and antiapoptotic genes
  • Treatment

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