Expression of apoptosis-associated proteins and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in precancerous lesions of stomach

AIM: To investigate the role of apoptosis-associated protein P53, Bcl-2, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in different transformation in precancerous lesions of the stomach. METHODS: Immunohistochemical method (LSAB) was used to assess P53, Bcl-2, and PCNA expressions in specimens from patients with (cancerous group, n =52) and without (non-cancerous group, n=56) gastric cancer. RESULTS: The occurrence of gastric carcinoma had close correlation with the expression intensity of P53, Bcl-2 and PCNA. PCNA LI in cancerous group was significantly higher than that in non-cancerous group (P <0.01). In cancerous group, the majority (88.5 %) had altered expression in one or more genes; multiple altered expression was found in 51.9 %. The difference of multiple altered expression between cancerous group and non-cancerous group was statistically significant (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: Multiple altered expression of P53, Bcl-2 and PCNA and their synergistic action might play a promo- tional role in the pathogenesis of gastric carcinoma, and the cell proliferative activity was significantly increased in gastric cancer.