Tumor-infiltrating leukocytes and other immunohistochemical parameters were evaluated in pretherapeutic biopsies and resection specimens in 73 patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin and paclitaxel. Ten patients with pathological complete response had significantly higher p53 expression, CD3(+) lymphocyte and CD83(+) cell counts, and lower progesterone receptor expression. In the remaining 63 patients, a significant decrease in the percentage of Ki-67, vascular endothelial growth factor expression, CD68(+) monocytes, and increased CD31(+), CD34(+), and SMA(+) stromal vessels, maximal CD3(+) and CD56(+) lymphocyte, maximal and mean CD83(+) cell, maximal CD1a(+), and maximal and mean S100(+) cell counts were observed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

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We investigated urinary zinc and serum levels of C-reactive protein, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, transferrin and prealbumin in 55 patients with solid tumors and 20 controls. Urinary zinc, serum C-reactive protein, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein and haptoglobin were significantly higher, and serum prealbumin was significantly lower in cancer patients. A significant positive correlation between urinary zinc and C-reactive protein, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein and haptoglobin, as well as a negative correlation with transferrin and prealbumin were observed. Hyperzincuria in cancer patients appears to be linked to the acute phase response. Our data provide further evidence implicating systemic inflammatory response in increased urinary zinc excretion.

Summary: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. It is an immensely heterogeneous disease, characterised by a broad variety of clinical development. The research in recent years has focused on finding new markers of prognosis. This study investigates the role of expression of the bcl-2 protein in breast cancer. We analysed bcl-2 expression in 57 women with primary breast carcinoma who were treated with neoadjuvant (primary) chemotherapy, followed by a surgical procedure. The bcl-2 expression was correlated with other clinicopathological characteristics of the tumour -histological grade, stage, expression of hormonal receptors, proliferation rate, and with the survival of the patients. No significant association of bcl-2 expression with either overall survival or disease free survival was found.