Differential effect of anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-xL and c-FLIP on sensitivity of MCF-7 breast cancer cells to paclitaxel and docetaxel.

Background: Intrinsic or acquired resistance to chemotherapy is a major clinical problem leading to the fatality of patients with advanced and metastatic breast cancer. The overexpression of anti-apoptotic genes is believed to play a role in the resistance to chemotherapy. In the present study, we tested the sensitivity of MCF-7 breast cancer cells overexpressing anti-apoptotic genes TRAF-1, c-FLIP, Bcl-xL, clAP-2 or Mn-SOD to paclitaxel and docetaxel.

Analysis of Ki-67 antigen expression, DNA proliferative fraction, and survival in resected cancer of the pancreas.

Background: Prognostic markers for pancreas cancer, such as CEA, CA19-9, ploidy analysis, and S-phase determination using flow cytometry, have not been consistently predictive. We chose to evaluate nuclear proliferation, as measured by the MIB-1 monoclonal antibody and digital image analysis, as a prognostic marker in pancreatic carcinoma, and compare the findings with DNA ploidy and S-phase analysis. MIB-1 identifies the Ki67 antigen present in nuclei of cells in all phases of the cell cycle except G0.