Clinicopathological Significance of TARBP2, APP, and ZNF395 in Breast Cancer.

The double-stranded RNA-binding protein TARBP2 has been suggested to act as an upstream regulator of breast cancer metastasis by destabilizing transcripts of the possible metastasis suppressors amyloid precursor protein (APP) and ZNF395. We examined this hypothesis by immunostaining of TARBP2, APP, and ZNF395 in 200 breast cancer specimens using tissue microarrays and analyzed the relationships between expression levels and clinicopathological parameters and prognosis. Increased TARBP2 overexpression was associated with shorter overall survival and disease-free survival, and increased but not reduced APP expression correlated with lower overall survival and disease-free survival. ZNF395 expression levels had no prognostic value, but reduced expression correlated with reduced lymph node metastasis. There was no significant relationship between TARBP2 overexpression and reduced APP and/or ZNF395 expression. Patients with tumors with higher TARBP2 or APP expression had unfavorable prognoses. Although reduced ZNF395 expression was significantly related to reduced lymph node metastasis, further studies are needed to clarify the role of TARBP2/APP/ZNF395 in breast cancer.

Unusual presentation of pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rare malignant tumour with histological features similar to undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma. A close association is known to exist between pulmonary LELC and Epstein-Barr virus infection in Southeast Asian countries. We report a 69-year-old man with pulmonary LELC arising from a thin-walled cavity with a smooth inner surface and characterized by an unexpectedly rapid progression.