Platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor expression is associated with histopathological stage and grade and patients' survival in gastric adenocarcinoma.

Platelet activating factor (PAF) has been considered as potent inflammatory lipid mediator that exerts its actions by binding to PAF receptor (PAFR). PAF/PAFR system has been implicated in several pathophysiological states, including tumor progression, angiogenesis and metastasis. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of PAFR expression in gastric adenocarcinoma. PAFR protein expression was assessed immunohistochemically on 54 gastric adenocarcinoma tissue samples and was analyzed in relation with clinicopathological parameters, tumor proliferative capacity and patients' survival. PAFR was abundantly expressed in all gastric adenocarcinoma cases examined. Increased PAFR expression was significantly more frequently observed in well/moderately compared to poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma cases (p=0.011). PAFR expression was significantly increased in intestinal- compared to diffuse-type cases (p=0.020). Elevated PAFR expression was significantly associated with smaller tumor size, absence of lymph node and organ metastasis and low tumor histopathological stage (p=0.025, p<0.001, p=0.009 and p<0.001, respectively). Additionally, patients presenting elevated PAFR expression had significantly longer survival times compared to those with low PAFR expression (log-rank test, p<0.001). These results support an important potential role of PAFR signalling in gastric malignant disease progression and render further research in this field a necessity.

Pulmonary embolism: CT findings with the use of helical computed tomography.

AIM: The aim of this study is the presentation of the imaging findings in patients with pulmonary embolism, the diagnosis of which was made with the use of helical computed tomography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The lung CT scans of 14 patients were retrospectively studied. The presence of hypoattenuating thrombus within the lumen of one or more pulmonary arterial branches was considered as the imaging criterion for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. RESULTS: Emboli within the lumen of 1st order branches were found in 2 patients, within the lumen of 2nd order branches in 8 patients, into the lumen of 3rd order branches (lobar) in 10 patients and into the lumen of 4th order branches (segmental) in 6 patients. No emboli were detected in subsegmental or more peripheral branches. Concomitant, secondary findings were the presence of unilateral pleural effusion, areas of pulmonary oligaemia and the presence of a wedge-shaped, pleural-based opacity, indicative of a pulmonary infarct. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we were able to make the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism through the direct visualization of intraluminal emboli up until the segmental level, as well as of concomitant, accessory findings of pulmonary embolism.