Bcl-2 positivity in B and C hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinomas

This study aims to investigate the expression of bcl-2 in the chronic hepatitis B, C and hepatocellular carcinoma.

In this study, 23 chronic hepatitis C, 17 chronic hepatitis B and 29 hepatocellular carcinoma cases were examined. Liver biopsies have been immunohistochemically stained for the expression of bcl-2. Positive staining was semi-quantitatively graded from + to +++.

Two out of 23 hepatitis C cases and 3 out of 17 hepatitis B cases were found to express bcl-2, staining was more intense in areas adjacent to active inflammatory process. Of the 29 hepatocellular carcinoma cases 6 stained positively for bcl-2; 9 biopsies in this group had also non-neoplastic liver tissue, and, of these 6 stained positively for bcl-2. Of the latter 6 bcl-2 positive biopsies 3 also showed tumoral staining while in the remaining 3, neoplastic elements were bcl-2 negative.

As the present study is a cross-sectional study, no causative relation between bcl-2 positivity and hepatocellular carcinoma can be implied, however high incidence of bcl-2 activity in the non-neoplastic liver parenchyma of the HCC cases suggest that bcl-2 activation may be involved in the development of at least some cases of hepatocellular carcinoma. Case control and/or prospective studies are needed to show whether bcl-2 positivity in a chronic hepatitis case has a predictive value for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.