A Study on Apoptosis and Expression of Fas, bax and bcl-2 Proteins in Testicular Carcinoma

Objective To explore the role of apoptosis and Fas, bax and bcl-2 proteins in the pathogenesis of testicular carcinoma. Methods Cell apoptosis was determined with TUNEL and flow cytometry, and the expression of Fas, bax and bcl-2 proteins were detected by cellular immunofluoresence technique in 56 cases of testicular carcinomas. Results Apoptotic index was closely correlated with the pathological type and lymph node metastasis of testicular carcinomas(P0.05). The positive rates of Fas, bax and bcl-2 proteins expression in testicular carcinoma were 66.1% (37/56), 85.7% (48/56) and 71.4% (40/56), respectively. Fas, bax and bcl-2 proteins expression was not correlated with the pathological type, clinical stage and lymph node metastasis of testicular carcinomas (P0.05). The apoptotic index was positively correlated with Fas and bax expression, and negatively correlated with bcl-2 expression (P0.05). Conclusion Cell apoptosis may play a role in the pathogenesis of testicular carcinoma. Fas, bax and bcl-2 protein overexpression could not serve as a marker for the prognosis of testicular carcinoma.