Bcl-2 Expression in Endometrial Hyperplasia and Carcinoma.
- Author:
Jong Hyeok KIM
1
;
Chang Won KOH
;
Joor Yung HUH
;
Bong Hee KIM
;
Hun Sik KONG
;
Jun Hee NA
;
Yong Nam KIM
;
Young Tak KIM
;
Joo Hyun NAM
Author Information
1. Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Endometrial hyperplasia;
Endometrial carcinoma;
Bcl-2 oncogene
- MeSH:
Carcinogenesis;
Chungcheongnam-do;
Endometrial Hyperplasia*;
Endometrial Neoplasms;
Female;
Humans;
Hyperplasia;
Lymphocytes
- From:Journal of the Korean Cancer Association
1998;30(6):1207-1218
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: To speculate the role of bcl-2 protooncogene in endometrial carcinogenesis by determination of the expression of bcl-2 in endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied bcl-2 expression by an immunohistochemical method in the paraffin-embedded blocks of 78 patients with endometrial hyperplasia, 64 with simple hyperpasia, 9 with complex hyperplasia and 5 with atypical hyperplasia respectively, and 33 endometrial carcinoma treated at Asan Medical Center from June, 1989 to May, 1997. Intensity of bcl-2 staining was scored on a scale of 0 to 4, calibrated by comparison with stromal lymphocytes, which always received a score of 4. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that bcl-2 was relatively highly expressed in simple (n= 64), complex (n=9) and atypical hyperplasias (n=5) with mean staining scores of 2.95+/-1.09 (Mean+Standard Deviation), 2.78+/-1.20 and 3.60+/-0.89 respectively, which showed no difference among histologic types. In endometrial carcinoma, the expression of bcl-2 was significantly down regulated (mean score=1.76+/-1.35) compared with that of hyperplasia, and did not conelate with FIGO surgical stage. However, grade III tumor showed significantly lower expression that grade I or II tumor. CONCLUSION: Bcl-2 expression is down regulated in endometrial carcinoma than endo- metrial hyperplasia, and correlates with tumor grade, which suggest that bcl-2 expression might be the result of carcinogenesis or bcl-2 plays only an adjunctive role in the endometrial carcinogenesis.
