Progesterone Receptor, Bcl-2 and Bax Expression in Meningiomas

Meningiomas are generally benign central nervous system neoplasms, which frequently express progesterone receptor (PR) and only rarely express the estrogen receptor (ER). For breast cancer, a relation between steroid hormone receptors and proteins involved in the apoptotic process has been described. For meningiomas, the exact relation between PR and these proteins is not known. In this study, ER, PR, bcl-2 and bcl-2-associated × protein (Bax) expression levels were determined in meningioma cytosols. As a reference for our experimental conditions, we also determined these proteins in breast cancer cytosols.