@article{3081551,
    title = "Differential expression of bcl-2 family proteins in bladder carcinomas
relationship with apoptotic rate and survival",
    author = "Korkolopoulou, P and Lazaris, AC and Konstantinidou, AE and Kavantzas, N and and Patsouris, E and Christodoulou, P and Thomas-Tsagli, E and Davaris, and P",
    journal = "European Urology",
    year = "2002",
    volume = "41",
    number = "3",
    pages = "274-283",
    publisher = "ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV",
    issn = "0302-2838, 1873-7560",
    doi = "10.1016/S0302-2838(02)00003-9",
    keywords = "bcl-2; bax; bcl-X-L; bcl-X-S; apoptosis; urothelial carcinoma; bladder",
    abstract = "Objective: To elucidate the role of various bcl-2 family molecules in
the regulation of apoptosis and the progression of urothelial cancer, in
relation to standard prognosticators.
Methods: Paraffin-embedded archival tissue from 103 N0M0 consecutive
patients with invasive bladder cancer (28 T1, 57 T2. 13 T3 and 5 T4) was
immunostained for bcl-2, bax, bcl-X-L, bcl-X-s, p53, Ki-67 and with an
anti-single stranded DNA monoclonal antibody recognizing the apoptotic
cells. Survival analysis was restricted to T2-T4 tumours. Patients were
followed-up until death (n = 27) or for a mean (+/-S.D.) follow-up of
37.6 (+/-17.4) months. Within this period, 39 patients relapsed after a
mean (+/-S.D.) period of 13.6 (+/-12.3) months.
Results: Most tumours were immunoreactive for bax (73.1%) and bcl-X-L
(80.9%) whereas bcl-2 and bcl-X-s expression was comparatively less
common (44.4 and 28.9%, respectively). The bcl-X-L and bcl-X-s
positivity was related to high grade (P = 0.007) and advanced stage (P =
0.010), respectively. On the contrary, bax and bcl-2 positivity was
unrelated to stage or grade. Apoptotic rate was independently influenced
only by p53, bcl-2 and proliferation rate. In multivariate analysis of
T2-T4 urothelial carcinomas (UC)s, only bax along with T-category and
age were the significant predictors of disease-free survival. Increased
apoptosis and T-category were also independently related to the overall
survival in T2-T4 UCs.
Conclusions: The expression of bcl-2 family members appears to be
differentially regulated in association with UC evolution. Most
importantly, bax immunostaining offers additional information to that
provided by traditional prognosticators, with regard to disease-free
survival of T2-T4 UCs. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V All rights
reserved."
}