IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF BCL-2 PROTEIN IN ADENOCARCINOMA AND NONNEOPLASTIC CELLULAR COMPARTMENTS OF THE LUNG

The expression of bcl-2 seems to influence the biologic activity of a variety of neoplasms. In this study, we examined bcl-2 protein express ion in 47 surgically resected adenocarcinomas of the lung to determine its expression in the neoplastic and adjacent non-neoplastic cells. S even squamous cell carcinomas, six small cell carcinomas, five non-neo plastic lung lesions, and five normal lungs were also studied, The bcl -2 protein was detected after antigen retrieval with bcl-2 monoclonal antibody using archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue mater ial, Fifty-one of 52 cases had bronchioles that could be evaluated and all expressed bcl-2, and of these, 12 showed basal immunostaining, 17 showed luminal immunostaining, and 22 showed immunostaining in both c ellular compartments, Thirty of the 47 adenocarcinomas expressed bcl-2 , whereas four of seven squamous cell carcinomas and all six small cel l carcinomas were bcl-2 positive, bcl-2 immunostaining was correlated with a survival using the Fisher exact test, There were no statistical ly significant differences in survival between patients with bcl-2-pos itive and bcl-2-negative adenocarcinomas (P = 0.332), Similar results were obtained using the Kaplan-Mier product limit survival analysis me thod (P = 0.356), Our study also showed that expression of bcl-2 is co mmon in pulmonary adenocarcinomas and that bcl-2 expression may be fou nd in the basal and the luminal surfaces of normal bronchioles.