BCL-2 protein expression in epithelial ovarian cancer, its association with age and tumour histopathological features in Uganda

Abstract

Globally, there were approximately 314,000 new cases diagnosed and 207,000 new deaths from ovarian cancer in 2020. In Uganda, 626 cases of ovarian cancer were documented over 25 years with an average incidence rate of 7.1 per 100,000 women, with the highest incidence rate recorded during the period 2001-2005 at 8.4 per 1000,000 women. The Epithelial Ovarian carcinoma subtype constitutes the majority of diagnosed ovarian cancers. The BCL-2 protein is a 26-kDa antiapoptotic protein that forms part of the regulatory system controlling the cell cycle and its expression in epithelial ovarian cancer tumors which is associated with a poor prognosis. Currently, no study has been done on the expression of BCL-2 protein in epithelial ovarian cancer in Uganda. The study was aimed at determinize the prevalence of BCL-2 protein expression in epithelial ovarian cancer, and its association with age and tumor histopathological features in Uganda. A cross-sectional laboratory based study was performed using proportionate random sampled archived tissue blocks from patients diagnosed with epithelial Ovarian cancer. These samples underwent Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. The prevalence of BCL-2 protein expression was determined using proportions and the association between BCL-2 protein expression and independent variables was determined using Pearson’s Chisquare test. The study analyzed 113 ovarian cancer specimens with a mean patient age of 55 years. Most patients (56.6%) were between aged 50–59 years old. BCL-2 protein expression was observed in 36.3% of cases, though no significant association was found between BCL-2 expression and age, histological type, or cancer grade. High-grade serous carcinoma was the most common subtype, representing 46% of the cases, and most common grade was well differentiated carcinoma accounting for 53% of the cases. The study revealed significant expression of BCL-2 in epithelial ovarian cancer, with no association to Age, histological grade, and histological subtype