Expression of Bcl-2 and Amplification of c-myc Are Frequent in Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Esophagus

• Published in: The American journal of pathology Vol. 155; no. 4; pp. 1027 - 1032
• Main Authors: Sarbia, Mario, Loberg, Christina, Wolter, Marietta, Arjumand, Jawed, Heep, Hansjörg, Reifenberger, Guido, Gabbert, Helmut E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.10.1999; ASIP; American Society for Investigative Pathology
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Basosquamous - genetics; Carcinoma, Basosquamous - metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - genetics; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - metabolism; Esophageal Neoplasms - genetics; Esophageal Neoplasms - metabolism; Esophagus; Esophagus - metabolism; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gene Amplification; Genes, myc - genetics; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - biosynthesis; Short Communication; Tumors; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Squamous cell carcinoma; Process variant; Esophageal disease; Malignant tumor; Carcinogenesis; Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma; Esophagus; Polymerase chain reaction; Pathology; Gene amplification; C-Onc gene; Digestive diseases; Molecular biology; Protooncogene; Apoptosis
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9440(10)65203-0
• ISSN: 0002-9440

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) of the esophagus is a rare, poorly differentiated variant of typical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) characterized by high proliferative activity and frequent spontaneous apoptoses. In the present study, we investigated the expression of the apoptosis-suppressing protein Bcl-2 in 23 BSCC of the esophagus and 23 stage-matched typical esophageal SCC by means of immunohistochemistry. In addition, amplification of the apoptosis- and proliferation-inducing gene c-myc was determined by means of differential polymerase chain reaction. Bcl-2 expression was found significantly more often in BSCC than in SCC (86.9% vs. 17.4%, P < 0.0001). Amplification of c-myc was nearly twice as common in BSCC as in SCC (47.8% vs. 26.1%, not significant). Bcl-2 protein expression together with c-myc amplification was detected in 43.5% of the BSCC but in none of the typical SCC ( P < 0.0001). Taken together, our findings indicate that the molecular pathogenesis of esophageal BSCC differs from that of typical SCC and frequently involves coactivation of c-myc and Bcl-2.