The Expression And Clinical Significance Of Egr-1 And Bcl-2 In Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Objective To study the protein expression of early growthresponsegene-1 (Egr-1) and B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) innon-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and explore the correlation among theirexpression and clinicopathological parameters as well as prognosis ofNHL,so as to investigate the role of Egr-1 and bcl-2 in the formationand development of NHL.Methods Egr-1 and Bcl-2 protein expression were evaluated in thetissues of 48 patients with NHL as well as 18 benign lymph nodedisorders using immunohistochemistry (S-P three-step method). Therelationship between both Egr-1 and Bcl-2 protein expression and clinicalmarkers of tumor behavior, which included patient's sex, age, tumorhistopathologic classification, Ann-Arbor clinical staging, immunoph-enotyping, clinical grouping, LDH, PS, number of extranodalinvolvement, was explored in 48 cases of NHL patients. 32 of the 48patients had been followed for six months, then estimated their recentoutcome after four periods of chemotherapy.Results 1. Positive expression rate of Egr-1 protein in NHL andbenign lymphademopathy were 29.2 % and 55.6 %, respectively(P＜0.05).2. Positive expression rate of Bcl-2 protein in NHL and benignlymphademopathy were 52.1% and 16.7 %, respectively(P＜0.05).3.There was no correlation between expression grade of Egr-1protein and clinicpathological parameters such as patient's sex, age,Ann-Arbor clinical staging, immunophenotyping,clinical grouping, LDH,PS, number of extranodal involvement(P＞0.05). Egr-1 proteinexpression was significantly related to tumor histopathologicclassification(P＜0.05). Futhermore, Rank correlation analysis ofSpearman indicated that expression grade of Egr-1 protein was negativerelated to tumor histopathologic classification (r=-0.322, P＜0.05).4. There was no correlation between expression grade of Bcl-2protein and clinicpathological parameters such as patient's sex, age, Ann-Arbor clinical staging, clinical grouping, LDH, PS, number ofextranodal involvement(P＞0.05). Bcl-2 protein expression was signi-ficantly related to tumor histopathologic classification and immuno-phenotyping (P＜0.05). Positive expression rate and expression grade ofBcl-2 protein in B-cell NHL were significantly higher than that in T-cellNHL(P＜0.05).5.There was negative correlation between the expression of Egr-1and Bcl-2 protein in NHL(P＜0.05).6.There was positive correlation between the expression of Egr-1protein and NHL recent effects (r=0.378, P＜0.05),and there wasnegative correlation between the Bcl-2 protein and NHL recent effects(r=-0.413, P＜0.05).The level of Bcl-2 protein may be a recent outcomeindex.Conclusions Egr-1 protein expression was both negativelycorrelated with tumor histopathologic classification and Bcl-2 proteinexpression in NHL; there was positive correlation between the expressionof Egr-1 protein and NHL recent effects; there was negative correlationbetween the Bcl-2 protein and NHL recent effects, and the level of Bcl-2protein may be a recent outcome index, and Bcl-2 could be choosen asone predictor of progrosis.