RESUMO
Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoplosis family that inhibit apoptosis controls mitotic progression and induces tumour cell invasion. Our objectives were to evaluate the association of survivin expression in the various types of bladder cancer and the clinical outcome. Immunohistochemical staining for survivin and ki67 was performed on 5 normal bladder and 51 patients: 9 cases had PNTCC [papillary non infiltrating transitional cell carcinoma], 16 had invasive TCC [transitional cell carcinoma], 10 had TCC with squamous differentiation and 16 had SCC [squamous cell carcinoma] among the 51 patients examined there were 10 known recurrent cases. Survivin and Ki67 were not expressed in normal bladder urothelium.Survivin was over expressed with higher tumour grade in both TCC [p=0.05] and SCC [p=0.04] and with high tumour stage in TCC [p=0.004]. Survivin expression might help identify patients of bladder carcinoma at high risk of disease recurrence and progression who would benefit from closer follow-up or more aggressive therapy