Expression of BAX and Bcl-2 gene in prostate carcinoma and its correlation with Gleason score

Abstract

Introduction: Prostate cancer is primarily a disease that occurs in the elderly age group amongst men above 65 years of age. The relationship between the Bcl-2 and Bax genes and the Gleason staging of prostate cancer has not been studied in depth, and there is a dearth of published Indian research on the subject. Hence, this study aims to comprehend how the apoptotic mechanism relates to prostate cancer. The aim of the study was to determine the proportion (expression) of Bcl-2 and BAX genes in prostate carcinoma (PCa) and to observe the correlation of Bcl-2 and BAX gene association with Gleason scoring in PCa. Materials and Methods: Transurethral resected prostatic Chips positive for PCa and paraffin blocks were evaluated for the study. H-score system was used based on the cytoplasmic staining into negative mild, moderate and strong cytoplasmic staining. Results: Fifty cases were analysed. There was a notable relationship between Gleason grade and tumour size, and levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were in an increasing manner with Gleason's grade except at Grade 3, with the majority of cases falling into Gleason grade 5 (42%) and PSA levels falling into the range of 90–99 (28%), tumour size falling into the range of 3.1–6 cm (44%), T4 stage (34%) and metastasis (80%). Conclusion: This study concluded that PSA levels in cases of prostate cancer patients were showing an increasing trend with Gleason grade. This demonstrated a striking correlation between Gleason grade and H score BCL2, but not one that was particularly significant for the BAX gene.