Immunohistochemical expression of BCL-2 in melanomas and intradermal nevi.
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| Abstract |
The BCL-2 gene is the prototype of a newly described family of oncogenes involved in tumorigenesis by blocking apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Overexpression of BCL-2 protein was originally described in follicular B-cell lymphomas bearing the 14;18 translocation. BCL-2 overexpression has also been described in other lymphomas and more rarely in neoplasms outside the lymphoid tissue. The aim of this paper is to determine the immunohistochemical expression of BCL-2 in intradermal nevi and primary invasive and metastatic melanoma. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from 4 cutaneous melanoma metastases, 10 primary invasive melanomas, and 10 intradermal melanocytic nevi were immunolabeled with monoclonal antibodies directed against BCL-2 protein (Dako, clone 124) and Ki-67 antigen (Amac, clone MIB-1), after antigen retrieval techniques. Morphologically normal epidermal melanocytes expressed BCL-2, as did nevi and melanomas in virtually all cells. However, whereas the labeling in normal melanocytes and nevus cells showed a uniformly strong reactivity, melanoma cells showed a variable but mainly weak reactivity. Ki-67 antigen expression was restricted to melanomas. The widespread expression of BCL-2 suggests that this oncoprotein cannot be involved in the malignant transformation of melanocytic cells. It seems likely that the decreased BCL-2 expression detected in melanomas may reflect one further step of tumor progression in melanocytic neoplasms.
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| Authors | M C Saenz-Santamaría, J A Reed, N S McNutt, C R Shea |
| Journal | Journal of cutaneous pathology (J Cutan Pathol) Vol. 21 Issue 5 Pg. 393-7 (Oct 1994) ISSN: 0303-6987 [Print] United States |
| PMID | 7868749 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't) |
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