Relationship between apoptosis markers (p53, bcl2, bax) and clinicalmorphological parameters and survival in nonsmall cell lung cancer

The purpose of the study was to analyze the relationship between expression of the р53, bcl-2 and bax genes and clinical-morphological parameters and survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Expression of bcl-2 and р53 was found to be higher in patients with squamous cell carcinoma, bax expression was higher in patients with adenocarcinoma and bcl-2 level was higher in patients with stage I NSCLC and in patients having no lymph node metastases. Survival of patients with NSCLC depended on the expression of p53, bcl-2 and depended no on the bax expression. Survival rates were increased in bcl-2 expression and decreased in p63 expression. Survival rate of patients with NSCLC was higher in -p53/+bcl-2 and -p53/+bcl-2/-bax immune phenotypes and lower in +p53/+bax and +p53/-bcl-2/+bax immune phenotypes. The unifactor regression analysis showed that bcl-2 and р53 were prognostic factors. The multifactor regression analysis revealed no relationship between bcl-2, р53, bax and prognosis of NSCLC.