Background: [corrected] Proteins involved in apoptosis process seem to play an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis
Aim: To determine the prevalence of bcl-2 protein immunohistochemical expression and its relation with clinical and histopathological variables of rectal adenocarcinoma.
Patients and methods: One hundred and thirty-two patients operated at "Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre", Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, between 1988 and 1999 were studied through immunohistochemical reaction using a monoclonal antibody anti-bcl-2 on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples
Results: The prevalence of bcl-2 protein was 29.5%. There was a significant increased number of positive bcl-2 cases among women as compared to men. There was no significant association between bcl-2 and age, tumour site, histological grade, mucin production, depth of invasion, lymphatic involvement, distant metastasis or stage, despite a trend showing decreased immunoreactivity to bcl-2 among poorly and moderately differentiated tumours, as well as disseminated disease
Conclusions: Analysis of bcl-2 protein expression in tumour tissues, as well as other oncoproteins, may have a role in predict therapeutic response and prognosis of colorectal cancer. However, the potential use of bcl-2 protein assessment in the clinical set for management of rectal cancer remains to be determined.