The expression of bcl-2 protein was analysed immunohistochemically in 202 female breast carcinomas. The intensity of bcl-2 expression was inversely related to tumour grade (P < 0.0001), tumor necrosis (P < 0.0001), mitotic index (P < 0.0001), oestrogen receptor content (P < 0.0001), progesterone receptor content (P = 0.0007), S-phase fraction (P = 0.00047), and apoptotic index (P = 0.087). A high fraction of bcl-2-positive cells was related to ductal or lobular type (P = 0.03) and slight nuclear pleomorphism (P = 0.03). Heterogeneous expression of bcl-2 protein was associated with high grade (P = 0.02), severe nuclear pleomorphism (P = 0.02), DNA aneuploidy (P = 0.018), high S-phase fraction (P = 0.05), and early metastasis (P = 0.03). Intense expression of bcl-2 protein was significantly related to favourable outcome in the entire cohort (P = 0.0013), as well as in axillary lymph node-negative (ANN) tumours (P = 0.0124). Long recurrence-free periods in the entire cohort (P = 0.037) and in ANN tumours (P = 0.08) were confined to cases with intense expression of bcl-2 protein. In multivariate analysis, bcl-2 expression had no independent prognostic value in the entire cohort or in axillary lymph node-negative breast carcinomas, whereas it was a weak independent prognostic factor in axillary lymph node-positive breast carcinomas.

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Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been indicated being a significant oncomodulator. Recent reports have suggested that an antiviral treatment alters the outcome of a glioblastoma. We analysed the performance of commercial HCMV-antibodies applying the immunohistochemical (IHC) methods on brain sample obtained from a subject with a verified HCMV infection, on samples obtained from 14 control subjects, and on a tissue microarray block containing cores of various brain tumours. Based on these trials, we selected the best performing antibody and analysed a cohort of 417 extra- and intra-axial brain tumours such as gliomas, medulloblastomas, primary diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, and meningiomas. HCMV protein pp65 immunoreactivity was observed in all types of tumours analysed, and the IHC expression did not depend on the patient's age, gender, tumour type, or grade. The labelling pattern observed in the tumours differed from the labelling pattern observed in the tissue with an active HCMV infection. The HCMV protein was expressed in up to 90% of all the tumours investigated. Our results are in accordance with previous reports regarding the HCMV protein expression in glioblastomas and medulloblastomas. In addition, the HCMV protein expression was seen in primary brain lymphomas, low-grade gliomas, and in meningiomas. Our results indicate that the HCMV protein pp65 expression is common in intra- and extra-axial brain tumours. Thus, the assessment of the HCMV expression in tumours of various origins and pathologically altered tissue in conditions such as inflammation, infection, and even degeneration should certainly be facilitated.

p21/WAF1 expression was studied in a series of 162 colorectal carcinoma patients and its relation to p53- and activator protein (AP)-2 expressions and to stage as well as survival was assessed. p21 expression was moderate or intense in 33% of the tumours, and 53% of the tumours had moderate or strong p53 staining intensity. Eighty-nine percent of the tumours showed a weak cytoplasmic AP-2 signal. As expected, p21 and p53 stainings were inversely related to each other ( P < 0.001). There was a significant positive association between p21 and AP-2 expression levels ( P = 0.01). p21 intensity and percentage were higher in Dukes' A and B stages ( P < 0.001). The cancer-related survival and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were significantly lower among patients with a low signal for p21 ( P < 0.001) and low p21 percentage in tumour epithelium ( P < 0.001). High p53 staining intensity in tumour epithelium predicted poor survival ( P = 0.01) and RFS ( P = 0.003). In the multivariate analysis, p21 percentage distribution independently predicted cancer-related survival in all cases, and p21 expression intensity in T1–4/N0–3/M0 and T1–3/N0/M0 cases. p21 percentage distribution was an independent predictor of RFS in all and T1–3/ N0/M0 cases. AP-2 staining did not reach any prognostic significance. These results suggest that the immunohistochemical detection of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 could be used to predict more precisely the outcome of colorectal cancer patients. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign