( Table 1) Of the 40 cheilitis samples, 27 were positive for Bcl-2 and caspase 3 (67.5%), p53 was expressed in 30 (75%), and Bax was present in 1 (2.5%); none was positive for Fas [positivity was limited to internal controls (melanocytes and apoptotic keratinocytes)]. The gene discussed is BAX; the disease is cheilitis.