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Apoptosis Inhibiting Factor Bcl-xL Might Be the Crucial Member of the Bcl-2 Gene Family in Colorectal Cancer

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Abstract

Since the role of the Bcl-2 gene family has beenonly poorly investigated in colorectal cancer, we haveexamined the expression of the apoptosis blockersBcl-xL and Bcl-2, as well as the proapoptoticfactors Bax and Bak. Northern blot analysis andimmunohistochemistry were performed on normal andcancerous colonic tissue from 12 patients. In colorectalcancer, Bcl-xL immunoreaction was strongerthan in normal controls, and 83% of the cancers had increasedBcl-xL mRNA expression. The mediandensitometric Bcl-xL values were 3.4-foldhigher in carcinomas (P < 0.005). In contrast to thenormal colon, colorectal carcinomas often lack any Bcl-2 immunostaining,and Bcl-2 mRNA was not detectable by Northern blotseither. Bax was not obviously altered in colorectalcancer, either at the protein level or at the mRNA level compared to the normal control colon. BakmRNA expression exhibited a wide variation incarcinomas, but was somewhat decreased in comparison tothe controls. Of these members of the Bcl-2 gene family, Bcl-xL seems to play a major role incolorectal tumori genesis and disease progression. Anagonistic effect might have caused the tendency forreduced Bak expression. The Bcl-2/Bax regulation systemof cell homeostasis seems to be of lesserimportance.

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Authors
  1. Christoph A. Maurer
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  2. Helmut Friess
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  3. Sabine S. Buhler
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  4. Beatrice R. Wahl
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  5. Hans Graber
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  6. Arthur Zimmermann
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  7. Markus W. Buchler
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Maurer, C.A., Friess, H., Buhler, S.S. et al. Apoptosis Inhibiting Factor Bcl-xL Might Be the Crucial Member of the Bcl-2 Gene Family in Colorectal Cancer. Dig Dis Sci 43, 2641–2648 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026695025990

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