The New England Journal of Medicine
e-mail icon  FREE NEJM E-TOC    HOME   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES   |   COLLECTIONS   |    Advanced Search
Sign in | Get NEJM's E-Mail Table of Contents — Free | Subscribe
 
Original Article
PreviousPrevious
Volume 329:690-694 September 2, 1993 Number 10
NextNext

bcl-2 Protein in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma
Francesco Pezzella, Helen Turley, Isinzu Kuzu, Mohammed Fahim Tungekar, Michael S. Dunnill, Chris B. Pierce, Adrian Harris, Kevin C. Gatter, and David Y. Mason

 Sign up for free e-toc
 

This Article
-Full Text

Commentary
-Letters
-Letters

Tools and Services
-Add to Personal Archive
-Add to Citation Manager
-Notify a Friend
-E-mail When Cited

More Information
-PubMed Citation
ABSTRACT

Background The proto-oncogene bcl-2 encodes a protein that inhibits programmed cell death (apoptosis). The protein is expressed in basal cells in normal human epithelium, but no data are available on the frequency or clinical importance of its expression in carcinoma. We studied bcl-2 expression in patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma and correlated this phenomenon with survival.

Methods Immunochemical analysis with a monoclonal antibody specific for bcl-2 was used to detect the protein in tumor samples from 122 patients undergoing surgery for squamous-cell carcinoma (80 patients) or adenocarcinoma (42 patients). The possibility that bcl-2 expression correlated with survival was investigated with use of the log-rank test, hazard ratios, and their confidence intervals.

Results We detected bcl-2 protein in 25 percent of squamous-cell carcinomas (20 of 80) and 12 percent of adenocarcinomas (5 of 42). In adjacent normal respiratory epithelium, bcl-2 was expressed only in basal cells. Survival at five years was higher among patients with bcl-2-positive tumors, both in the group as a whole (P<0.1) and in the group with squamous-cell carcinoma (P<0.02). Patients 60 years of age or older who had bcl-2-positive tumors had the best prognoses, both in the group as a whole (P<0.02) and in the group with squamous-cell carcinoma (P<0.01).

Conclusions The proto-oncogene bcl-2 is abnormally expressed in some lung carcinomas, and its expression may have prognostic importance.


Source Information

From the Leukaemia Research Fund Immunodiagnostics Unit (F.P., D.Y.M.), the Nuffield Department of Pathology (H.T., I.K., M.F.T., M.S.D., K.C.G.), the University Data Centre (C.B.P.), and the Molecular Oncology Laboratory (Imperial Cancer Research Fund) (A.H.), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Pezzella at the Leukaemia Research Fund Immunodiagnostics Unit, Level 1, Maternity Block, John Radcliffe Hospital, OX3 9DU, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Full Text of this Article


Related Letters:

bcl-2 and Prognosis in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma
Gaffney E. F., O'Neill A. J., Staunton M. J., Pezzella F.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1994; 330:1757-1758, Jun 16, 1994. Correspondence

Acute Monoarthritis
Canoso J. J., Schumacher H. R., Baker D. G.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1994; 330:221-222, Jan 20, 1994. Correspondence

This article has been cited by other articles:



HOME  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  SEARCH  |  CURRENT ISSUE  |  PAST ISSUES  |  COLLECTIONS  |  PRIVACY  |  TERMS OF USE  |  HELP  |  beta.nejm.org

Comments and questions? Please contact us.

The New England Journal of Medicine is owned, published, and copyrighted © 2009 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.