Additionally, the expression patterns of BCL2, BAX and TP53 genes were investigated in samples from post-mortem brains of MJD patients to better elucidate the involvement of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in MJD pathogenesis and to evaluate possible conserved changes of apoptosis markers in the brain and peripheral blood of MJD patients. The gene discussed is BAX; the disease is Machado-Joseph disease.