AIM:To evaluate the role of survivin and caspase-3 in apoptosisof gastric carcinoma,as well as in prognosis of patients withgastric carcinoma.METHODS:Expressions of survivin and caspase-3 wereinvestigated immunohistochemically in 80 gastric carcinomapatients without a history of chemo-radiation therapy.Tumorcell apoptosis was examined by TUNEL method.RESULTS:Immunohistochemical analysis showed thatsurvivin expression was positive in 61 of 80 patients (76%)with gastric carcinoma.In contrast,no expression of survivinin adjacent normal tissues was detected.Expression levelof caspase-3 was higher in normal tissues than in carcinoma.Patients with higher expression of survivin had worsehistological grades and pathological stages.Expression ofcaspase-3 was significantly associated with histologicalstages,but not with the pathological stages.Althoughsurvivin expression in carcinoma was not inversely relatedto caspase-3,patients with survivin(-) and caspase-3(+)had the maximum apoptosis index.CONCLUSION:Expression level of survivin was associatedwith histological grades and pathological stages of the tumor,indicating that survivin may be a poor prognosis factor forgastric carcinoma.Unlike caspase-3,survivin (an apoptosisinhibitor) can markedly inhibit the apoptosis of tumor cells. AIM: To evaluate the role of survivin and caspase-3 in apoptosis of gastric carcinoma, as well as in prognosis of patients with gastric carcinoma. METHODS: Expressions of survivin and caspase-3 were investigated immunohistochemically in 80 gastric carcinomapatients without a history of chemo-radiation therapy .Tumorcell apoptosis was examined by TUNEL method .RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analysis showed thatsurvivin expression was positive in 61 of 80 patients (76%) with gastric carcinoma. In contrast, no expression of survivinin adjacent normal tissues was detected. Expression level of caspase-3 was higher in normal tissues than in carcinoma. Patients with higher expression of survivin had worsehistological grades and pathological stages. Expression of caspase-3 was significantly associated with histological stages, but not with the pathological stages. Although the survivin expression in carcinoma was not inversely related to caspase-3, patients with survivin (-) and caspase-3 (+) had the maximum apoptosis index.C ONCLUSION: Expression level of survivin was associatedwith histological grades and pathological stages of the tumor, indicating that survivin may be a poor prognosis factor forgastric carcinoma. Unlike caspase-3, survivin (an apoptosis inhibitor) can markedly inhibit the apoptosis of tumor cells.