Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  1999 May;42(5):1096-1101.

The Study for Usefulness of Overexpression of bcl-2 , p53 Gene and Apoptosis as a Response Predictor to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Cervical Cancer

• Lee CM
• Cho HI
• Kang JS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
We studied the relationship between bcl-2, p53 gene expression, apoptosis and clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma to evaluate the possibility of using them as useful markers for sensitivity in selecting patients to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
METHODS
This study included 36 patients with locally advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma. The specimens were obtained from cervical squamous cell carcinoma before chemotherapy by colposcopy directed biopsy and processed for immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody against bcl-2 and p53 after hematoxylin-eosin staining to review the pathologic diagnosis and to count apoptotic cell.
RESULTS
bcl-2 gene was significantly more expressed in non-responders than responders to chemotherapy. p53 gene was more expressed in non-responders than responders to chemotherapy, but the difference was not statistically significant. Apoptosis was significantly more encountered in responders than non-responders to chemotherapy.
CONCLUSION
Overexpression of bcl-2 and increased apoptosis are correlated with the clinical response to chemotherapy and would be considered as useful markers for sensitivity in selecting patients to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Keyword

Cervical carcinoma; Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; bcl-2; p53; Apoptosis

MeSH Terms

Apoptosis*
Biopsy
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Colposcopy
Diagnosis
Drug Therapy*
Genes, bcl-2
Genes, p53*
Humans
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*