Bcl-2, bax, bcl-xL and bcl-xS expression in neoplastic and normal cervical tissue

We simultaneously assessed bcl-2, bax, bcl-xL and bcl-xS expression levels by Western blotting on 53 primary untreated cervical cancers and 15 normal samples. Bcl-2 showed a trend to be lower in neoplastic than in normal samples (P<0.01), while no significant difference was observed for bax and bcl-xL. Bcl-xS was barely detectable in only a few samples. Interestingly, in cervical cancer, bcl-2 and bcl-xL were directly correlated (P<0.01). A significant association of bcl-2 levels with age (P<0.021) and menopausal status (P<0.041) in cervical cancer patients as well as in control patients was observed. Bcl-2, bax and bcl-xL levels in responding and non-responding patients were not differently distributed. Bcl-2, bax and bcl-xL are likely to play a role in the natural history of cervical tumors, but their clinical significance in predicting response to treatment and clinical outcome needs long-term follow-up studies.