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Published on: January 30, 2018
Bax protein may influence the invasion of colorectal cancer
Anna Pryczynicz1, Mariusz Gryko1, Katarzyna Niewiarowska1
1Anna Pryczynicz, Katarzyna Niewiarowska, Andrzej Kemona, Katarzyna Guzińska-Ustymowicz, Department of General Pathomorphology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland.
Aim:
To evaluate the expression of Bcl-xL, Bak, and Bax proteins in correlation with particular clinico-histopathological parameters, including tumor invasion front, in patients with colorectal cancer.
Methods:
The expression of these proteins was evaluated with the use of the immunohistochemical method in 50 primary tumors.
Results:
According to observations, a low expression of Bax and Bak proteins is related to the localization of the tumor in the rectum (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05 respectively), which may explain an increased incidence of colorectal cancer in this area. A positive expression of Bax protein also correlates with the presence of cancer cell infiltration to lymph and blood vessels (P < 0.05), which may suggest the participation of this protein in the early stages of colorectal cancer progression. Moreover, a positive expression of Bcl-xL protein correlated with a positive expression of Bak protein. This may suggest a greater participation of Bcl-xL protein in the inhibition of the proapoptotic Bak protein, but not the Bax protein.
Conclusion:
Bax protein is probably very significant in the cancerogenesis mechanism in the large intestine.
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