Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Esophagus with Lung Metastasis: Case Report.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a malignant tumor originating in the salivary glands. It most commonly affects the salivary and lacrimal glands, with less frequent occurrences in the esophagus. Esophageal ACC (EACC) typically manifests in the middle or lower parts of the esophagus, with exceedingly rare instances in the upper part. Lung metastasis in EACC is uncommon, and understanding its clinical features and treatment strategies remains challenging. In this study, we present a case of ACC originating in the upper esophagus with lung metastasis. The patient, a middle-aged female, was admitted to the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine due to an esophageal mass discovered during physical examination that had been present for 4.5 years, along with a newly identified pulmonary nodule for 2 weeks. An X-ray barium meal revealed the presence of a benign esophageal cervical mass. Gastroscopy revealed elevated lesions below the esophageal inlet, and a pathological biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of EACC. The aim of this case report is to enhance understanding of this rare condition and improve clinicians' awareness of the disease. By providing details of the patient's diagnosis, clinical presentation, imaging features and pathological features, we aim to improve diagnostic accuracy and clinical management of similar cases in the future.

Association of ADAM17 Expression Levels in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease.

A disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs) are believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of many fibrosis-related diseases. However, little is known regarding the significance of ADAM17 as a biomarker for interstitial lung disease (ILD). In this study, by using the RT-PCR, western blotting and ELISA, we detected the expression level of ADAM17 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, connective tissue disease associated ILD (CTD-ILD) patients and healthy controls, and correlations between clinical and laboratory parameters were also analyzed. We found that IPF patients and CTD-ILD patients showed higher levels of ADAM17 than healthy controls. Moreover, ADAM17 in IPF patients with acute exacerbation (AE-IPF) was significantly higher than that in stable IPF (S-IPF) patients. Expression of ADAM17 was positively correlated with disease duration and CRP but negatively correlated with diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO) and total lung capacity (TLC). Among the CTD-ILD patients, SSc-ILD patients had the highest serum levels of ADAM17 compared with the RA-ILD, SS-ILD and IIM-ILD groups and ADAM17 expression levels were correlated with image grading. In conclusion, this study showed that ADAM17 is highly expressed in ILD patients and is associated with disease activity and severity. Additionally, ADAM17 expression is not only related to the primary CTDs, but also to image grading. ADAM17 may serve as a new biomarker for ILD.

Apoptosis induced by baicalin involving up-regulation of P53 and bax in MCF-7 cells.

Anticancer effect of baicalin (1) has been well documented. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the cytotoxicity of baicalin in cancer cells remain unclear. In the present study, we examined the potential roles of p53, bax, and bcl-2 in baicalin-triggered apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, a cell line derived from human breast cancer. The results showed that cell proliferation was significantly inhibited by baicalin in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis also revealed that most of the baicalin-treated MCF-7 cells were arrested in the G(0)/G(1) phase. Significant amount of cells underwent apoptotic cell death 24 h following baicalin treatment. Typical apoptotic characteristics such as chromatin condensation and the formation of apoptotic bodies were noted 48 h following baicalin exposure. Semi-quantitative analysis using RT-PCR revealed dramatic elevation of mRNA levels of proapoptotic molecules p53 and bax, but not the anti-apoptotic bcl-2. Consistently, significant elevation of p53 and bax was substantiated by the western blot. Collectively, the data demonstrated that baicalin-induced apoptotic cell death in the breast cancer cells involves the up-regulation of proapoptotic p53 and bax, implying potential crucial roles of bax and p53 in the baicalin-induced apoptosis.

[Advances on phytoestrogen intervening breast cancer].

Phytoestrogen is the bioactive substance from plant, with structure is very simliar to that of estrogen. Phytoestrogen is mainly comprises of isoflavone, lignan and coumarin. Epidemiological restrarch shows that the increasing the uptake phytoestrogen of can reduce the morbidities of breast and other cancers. In this paper, the food source, characteristic and relevant researches both in vitro and in vivo were reviewed, and its mechanisms of intervening breast cancer were also discussed.