Differential expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in the assessment of cellular dynamics in fine-needle samples of primary breast carcinomas

The rates of cell proliferation and programmed cell death (apoptosis) refle ct tumor cell dynamics and are considered to directly influence biological progression and tumor response to therapy, Bar and Bcl-2 are members of a g ene family that influence apoptosis and have been used as surrogate markers in the evaluation of this process. Sixty-three fine-needle tumor samples f rom an equal number of patients with breast carcinomas were analyzed for Ba r, Bcl-2, and DNA content by flow cytometry, The results were correlated wi th classical clinicopathological parameters, Bar values varied widely among tumors and showed no significant correlation with any of the clinicopathol ogical parameters analyzed. Bcl-2 levels ranged from 4% to 91%, correlated positively with estrogen (P = 0.0004) and progesterone (P = 0.0045) recepto r positivity, and were more associated with low S-phase tumor values. In co ntrast, high S-phase values correlated with estrogen receptor negativity, h igh grade, and DNA aneuploidy, The study results indicate that Bcl-2 and S- phase analysis of fine-needle samples of breast carcinomas provide a conven ient tool for the assessment of these tumors, (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.