Abstract: The invention provides a method for detecting apoptosis in a myeloid cell comprising detecting an alteration in any one of: i) a Survivin polypeptide having an amino acid sequence as set out in SEQ ID NO: 1; ii) a polypeptide having at least 80% homology with i); iii) a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide having the sequence set out in i) or ii); iv) a nucleic acid which hybridises under stringent conditions to the sequence set out in iii); or v) the complement of iii) or iv). The invention accordingly provides a method of modulating apoptosis in neutrophils by modulating Survivin gene expression and a method of treating inflammatory disease by modulating Survivin gene expression or function.