TY - JOUR
T1 - Expression of the apoptosis-related oncogenes bcl-2, bax, and p53 in Merkel cell carcinoma
T2 - Can they predict treatment response and clinical outcome?
AU - Feinmesser, Meora
AU - Halpern, Marisa
AU - Fenig, Eyal
AU - Tsabari, Cohava
AU - Hodak, Emmilia
AU - Sulkes, Jaqueline
AU - Brenner, Baruch
AU - Okon, Elimelech
PY - 1999/11
Y1 - 1999/11
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Apoptosis
KW - Merkel cell carcinoma
KW - Proapoptotic and antiapoptotic genes
KW - Treatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032745541&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0046-8177(99)90070-9
DO - 10.1016/S0046-8177(99)90070-9
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AN - SCOPUS:0032745541
SN - 0046-8177
VL - 30
SP - 1367
EP - 1372
JO - Human Pathology
JF - Human Pathology
IS - 11
ER -