BCL-2 IS CLOSELY CORRELATED WITH FAVORABLE PROGNOSTIC FACTORS AND INVERSELY ASSOCIATED WITH P53 PROTEIN ACCUMULATION IN ENDOMETRIAL CARCINOMAS - IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL AND POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION LOSS OF HETEROZYGOSITY FINDINGS

To clarify the relation between bcl-2 protein (Bcl-2) expression and p 53 alteration during progression of endometrial carcinomas (endometrio id type), 92 consecutive hysterectomy specimens were examined by immun ohistochemistry. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for the p53 gene was als o examined using the polymerase chain reaction(PCR)-LOH assay. Moderat e to strong Bcl-2 immunointensity in more than 30% of cells was found in 32 (34.8%) of 92 carcinomas, with a clear link to favorable clinico pathological features, such as a high differentiation grade (P = 0.008 4), an early stage (P = 0.0432) and limited invasion into the myometri um (P = 0.0084). In contrast, positive results for p53 immunohistochem istry (more than 30% positive cells) or PCR-LOH analysis were revealed in 16 (17.4%) of 92 and 18 (22.5%) of 80 tumors respectively. Althoug h there was no apparent association between the nuclear p53 staining a nd the presence of LOH, the lack of correlation being observed in 23 ( 28.7%) of the tumors, both alterations were significantly linked with several unfavorable prognostic factors. In addition, an inverse correl ation was observed between Bcl-2 expression and p53 protein accumulati on (P = 0.0084). These data suggest that, in endometrial carcinomas, B cl-2 and p53 alterations may play important roles in determining wheth er tumor progression from early to advanced stages will occur.