Published online Nov 15, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i22.3251
Revised: May 24, 2003
Accepted: June 4, 2003
Published online: November 15, 2004
AIM: To investigate the relationship between bcl-2 gene and its related protein bax and intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC).
METHODS: Semi-nested in situ PCR (SNISPCR) and imm- unohistochemistry were performed to detect bcl-2/JH fusion gene and bcl-2, bax protein expression in 29 cases of CCC.
RESULTS: No bcl-2/JH fusion gene was found in all cases of CCC, 72.4% of 29 cases expressed bcl-2 protein. Bcl-2 protein expression was related to histopathological grades (P < 0.05). There was no corresponding relationship between bcl-2/JH fusion gene formation and bcl-2 protein expression in CCC (P < 0.05). Bax was expressed in 10.3% of 29 cases. The ratio of bcl-2 to bax in normal liver tissues (3.5 to 1) was different from that in tumor tissues (7.0 to 1).
CONCLUSION: It is suggested that bcl-2/JH fusion gene formation is not a frequent event and may not play an important role in the pathogenesis of CCC. However, aberrant ratio of bcl-2 to bax protein expression may be involved in the course of tumorigenesis of CCC. Abnormal bcl-2 protein expression may not be solely resulted from bcl-2/JH fusion gene.