Expression of procaspase 3 and activated caspase 3 and its relevance in hormone-responsive gallbladder carcinoma chemotherapy.

Background/aims: The higher incidence of gallbladder cancer (GBC) in females has been accredited to the involvement of hormones. The clinical implications of sex hormone receptors in GBC are well established. Cysteine proteases (such as caspase-3-9, etc.

Expression pattern of tumor endothelial marker 8 protein in gallbladder carcinomas.

Tumor endothelial marker 8 protein (TEM8) is highly specific to tumor angiogenesis and is not required for normal adult angiogenesis and hence might prove to be a target for anti-angiogenic therapies in the future. We here evaluated protein and gene expression patterns in human endothelial cells of benign gallbladder - gallstone diseases (GSDs) and gallbladder carcinomas (GBCs) using immunostaining, immunofluorescence and western blotting techniques. Subjects comprised 175 GBC patients, 38 males and 137 females, aged 30-85 years (mean age 50.