Down regulation of bcl-2 by p53 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and lack of detection of its specific t(14;18) chromosomal translocation in fixed tissues

High levels of bcl-2 protein have been found in a wide variety of human cancers. Since p53 gene inactivation occurs in over half of human cancers, it is possible that loss of p53-mediated repression of bcl-2 gene expression accounts, at least in part, for the frequent abnormalities in bcl-2 protein production seen in tumours. By using immunohistochemical methods, we have analysed thirty-three nasopharyngeal carcinomas for p53 and bcl-2 expression. We found an inverse correlation between the expression of these two proteins (P <0.001). Moreover, we utilized universal oligonucelotide primers of a region 5' to the bcl-2 MBR and at the 3' end of J(H) segments to initiate a DNA polymerase chain reaction that amplified these bcl-2-J(H) junctures. Of the twelve nasopharyngeal carcinomas expressing bcl-2, none showed a t(14;18) chromosome translocation. These findings may indicate potential mechanisms by which bcl-2 regulates apoptosis.