Deciphering the clinical significance of Beclin-1 and Bcl-2 in urothelial carcinoma of bladder

ABSTRACT Background: Considering an important interplay of Beclin-1 and Bcl-2 in autophagy, where Bcl-2 inhibits autophagy by binding and inhibiting Beclin-1, evaluation of their expressions may provide insights into the tumor biology of the clinically distinct non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Materials and Methods: Beclin-1 and Bcl-2 expressions were examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western hybridization, and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) in 47 NMIBC and 37 MIBC patients. Their expressions were evaluated in relation to patients’ demographics. Autophagic vesicles (AVs)/autophagy were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).