Abstract: Expression of bcl-2 and P53 proteins in twenty-eight cases of prostatic carcinoma and ten cases of benign hyperplasia of prostate was detected by immunohistochemical LSAB assay to study the relationship between these gene products and the pathogenesis of prostatic carcinoma. It was found that bcl-2 and p53 positive rates in prostatic carcinoma were 42.9% and 28.6% respectively, both of which were not significantly higher than those in benign hyperplasia of prostate statically, but a tendancy of their increasing expression in prostatic carcinoma could be seen. The expression of bcl-2 in the group of poor differentiation was significantly higher than that in the well-differentiated group(P<0.05). When compared in terms of clinical stages, the bcl-2 expression at stage D was significantly higher than that at stage B or C(P<0.05). There existed a tendency of increase in p53 expression in prostatic carcinoma, but it was not significantly higher than that in benign hyperplasia of prostate statistically. When the poorly differentiated group and well-differentiated group were compared, there was no statistically significant difference, and the comparison based on different clinical stages didn't show significant difference in p53 expression between stage and Stage B or C. It is suggested that bcl-2 protein expression increases in prostatic carcinoma and is, to some extent, involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. It may be concluded that bcl-2 protein assay can be used as an index of diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. The relationship between p53 expression and prostatic carcinoma remains to be learned.

Key words: prostatic carcinoma, bcl-2 protein, p53 protein, immunohistochemistry