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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
Examining BCL-2 Family Function with Large Unilamellar Vesicles
Published on: October 5, 2012
Differences in survivin location and Bcl-2 expression in CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders of the skin compared
G Goteri1, O Simonetti, S Rupoli
1Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Anatomic Pathology, Ancona, Italy.
Background:
Cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs) are a spectrum of disease associated with a favourable prognosis. Systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), although morphologically and phenotypically similar, differs in clinical presentation and has a less favourable biological behaviour. Dysregulation of apoptosis, the process regulating cell population by programmed death, can explain the differences among these disorders.
Objectives:
We investigated the expression of two inhibitors of apoptosis, survivin and Bcl-2 protein, in serial skin lesion samples from CD30+ LPDs compared with systemic ALCL.
Methods:
Immunohistochemical analysis with antibodies against anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-1 protein, survivin and Bcl-2 protein was performed in 10 cutaneous CD30+ LPDs (five lymphomatoid papulosis, five ALCL) and 18 systemic ALCLs. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction studies for ALK and ALK/nucleophosmin were also performed.
Results:
Cutaneous CD30+ LPDs shared a heterogeneous expression of cytoplasmic survivin with all systemic ALCLs, and of Bcl-2 with systemic ALK- ALCLs; however, they differ from systemic ALK- ALCLs because they lack nuclear survivin (P = 0.045), and from systemic ALK+ ALCLs by a higher expression of Bcl-2 (P = 0.045) and a lack of ALK-1. Overall, coexpression of Bcl-2 and nuclear survivin in CD30+ LPDs was associated with a less favourable disease survival.
Conclusions:
The different patterns of expression of Bcl-2 and survivin in CD30+ LPDs might have an impact on their different biological and clinical behaviour. Moreover, nuclear localization of survivin, similarly to ALK, may be a useful marker for predicting a systemic form of ALCL with cutaneous presentation.
