[A study on the relationship between the expression of Bax gene products and prognosis in patients with human non-small cell lung cancer].

BACKGROUND: To explore the relationship between the expression of Bax gene and oncogenesis , development and prognosis of lung cancer. METHODS: The expression level of Bax gene products was detected in 124 human non-small cell lung cancer by immunohistochemistry labelled-streptavidin-biotin methods. RESULTS: The expressional level of Bax products in lung cancer tissues (53. 76 %) was significantly lower than that in the normal tissues adjacent to lung cancer (75. 51 %) and normal lung tissues (74. 97 %) ( P < 0. 01) . The expressional level of Bax products was closely related with P-TNM stage , the size of primary tumor and lymph node metastasis ( P < 0. 01 or P < 0. 05) ; but not to histological classification , cell differentiation and site of the cancer , and age , sex of the patients and smoking or not ( P > 0. 05) . The five-year survival rate in patients with high Bax expression was significantly higher than that in patients with low Bax expression ( P < 0. 01) . CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal expression of Bax gene may play an important role in the oncogenesis , development and prognosis of lung cancer. Bax gene may be involved in the oncogenesis , development and metastasis of lung cancer.