Immunocytochemical localization of BCL-2 protein in human breast cancers and its relationship to a series of prognostic markers and response to endocrine therapy

Gee, Julia Margaret Wendy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6483-2015, Robertson, J. F. R., Ellis, I. O., Willsher, P., McClelland, Richard Andrew, Hoyle, H. B., Kyme, S. R., Finlay, Pauline, Blamey, R. W. and Nicholson, Robert Ian 1994. Immunocytochemical localization of BCL-2 protein in human breast cancers and its relationship to a series of prognostic markers and response to endocrine therapy. International Journal of Cancer 59 (5) , pp. 619-628. 10.1002/ijc.2910590508

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

The protein product of the bcl-2 gene is thought to be involved in inhibition of apoptosis; it may therefore be important in the modulation of hormonal/anti-hormonal responsiveness exhibited by tumours. This study immunocytochemically investigates (i) relationships between bcl-2 protein expression in primary breast cancers and other markers of prognostic and therapeutic value and (ii) associations of the bcl-2 protein with breast cancer responsiveness to endocrine therapy. The bcl-2 protein was found within the tumour epithelial cell cytoplasm of 32/46 breast cancer specimens; inter-patient staining was heterogeneous. Immunostaining for steroid hormone receptors was strongly associated with that for the bcl-2 protein, and it is thus possible that this protein, like progesterone receptor, is under oestrogen regulation via oestrogen receptor. The protein was inversely related to 2 markers of endocrine insensitivity, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein, while no associations were observed with either transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha or Ki-67 proliferative status. A highly significant relationship was observed between response to endocrine therapy and the presence of bcl-2 protein. Indeed, bcl-2 immunostaining proved to be a more accurate predictor of response than oestrogen receptor status. Patients with elevated bcl-2 immunostaining (particularly those who co-expressed high oestrogen receptor levels) appeared to derive the greatest benefit from endocrine therapy. Our results are paradoxical since it was expected that the bcl-2 protein would counteract the tumour inhibitory effects of endocrine therapies as it is thought to prevent programmed cell death.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Pharmacy Medicine
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0254 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology (including Cancer) R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell
ISSN:	1097-0215
Last Modified:	18 Oct 2022 14:19
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/17134

Citation Data

Cited 211 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item