Expression Of The Cell Apoptosis-realating Gene Bcl-2 And Bax In Lung Cancer

Objiective: To study the relation between the apoptosis-relating protein bcl-2 and bax exprexssion with the clinicopothologic characteristic and prognosis in human lung cancer. Methods: 72 resected lung cancer and 11 normal lung tissues were investigated by means of immunhistochemistry, the apoptosis activity was also visualized by TUNEL. Results: The percentage of bcl-2 and bax positive cases in lung cancer was 37.50% and 51.39%, they had significant differences compared with normal lung tissues (P<0.05/0.01); The percentage of bcl-2 positive cases in small cell lung cancer was100.00%(4/4), in non-small cell lung cancer was 33.82%, the former was significantly higher than the latter (P<0.05); The percentage of bcl-2 in squamous cell carcinomas (50.00%) was significantly higher than that in adenocarcinomas (13.33%)(P<0.01); and the percentage of bax in squamous cell carcinomas (39.47%) was significantly higher than that in adenocarcinomas(73.33%)(P<0.01). Statistical comparision between the patients' clinical characteristics and bcl-2 ,bax status reveal no significant differences in the frequency of bcl-2 and bax protein expression with respect to T and N factors, clinical stages, sex, ages, as well as smoking. The apoptosis index(AI)in normal lung tissues was higher than that in lung cancer(P<0.05).The patients with bcl-2 /bax>1 tumors had longer survival time than those who with bcl-2 /bax<1 tumors. Conclusion: Bcl-2 and bax is correlated with the histologcal type, tumor grade, TNM status and prognosis of lung cancer, they are play a role in the genesis and development of lung cancer by ragulate apoptosis. In non-small cell lung cancer , bcl-2 and bax is correlated with prognosis .