REVIEW   Free access

Italian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology 2021 December;156(6):642-9

DOI: 10.23736/S2784-8671.20.06622-5

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Prognostic significance of Bcl-2 expression in primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma: a reappraisal

Alessandro PILERI ¹ ✉, Claudio AGOSTINELLI ², Clara BERTUZZI ², Vieri GRANDI ^{3, 4}, Vincenza MAIO ⁵, Irene LASTRUCCI ³, Marco SANTUCCI ⁵, Nicola PIMPINELLI ³

¹ Division of Dermatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; ² Division of Hematopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; ³ Unit of Dermatology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence Medical School, Florence, Italy; ⁴ St John’s Institute of Dermatology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; ⁵ Unit of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence Medical School, Florence, Italy

Bcl-2 family protein plays an important role in apoptosis and its overexpression is protects neoplastic cell from apoptotic stimuli. Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma are rare non-Hodgkin lymphomas and can be classified in primary forms, featuring an exclusive skin-involvement at diagnosis, and cutaneous spread of a nodal disease. Such a distinction is not trivial, owing to different prognosis (indolent vs. aggressive) and therapeutic management. Bcl-2 expression at immunohistochemistry can be crucial in differential diagnosis between cutaneous and systemic disease, as well as between the different primary cutaneous forms. In the last few years, an animated debate on the prognostic role of Bcl-2 overexpression at molecular analysis have been developed in cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. To conclude, Bcl-2 expression have a diagnostic role more than prognostic in primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas.

KEY WORDS: Lymphoma, B-cell; Lymphoma, follicular; Lymphoma, B-cell, marginal zone