Apoptosis in astrocytomas with different grades of malignancy.

Apoptosis, a form of programmed cell death was studied in astrocytomas with varying stages of malignancy, including low grade astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme. Apoptosis was visualized by employing the TUNEL technique and the evaluation of nuclear morphology and this was correlated with a study of bcl 2 expression. A decrease in the percentage of apoptotic cells and bcl 2 expression were evident with increasing malignancy. Furthermore, there was an increase in the proportion of apoptotic cells of the early stage in the more advanced form of astrocytoma. This is a study which demonstrates a possible direct inverse relationship between the severity of apoptosis and the stages of malignancy.