Clinical, pathological, and radiological characteristics of solitary ground-glass opacity lung nodules on high-resolution computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Lung nodules are being detected at an increasing rate year by year with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) being widely used. Ground-glass opacity nodule is one of the special types of pulmonary nodules that is confirmed to be closely associated with early stage of lung cancer. Very little is known about solitary ground-glass opacity nodules (SGGNs). In this study, we analyzed the clinical, pathological, and radiological characteristics of SGGNs on HRCT. METHODS: A total of 95 resected SGGNs were evaluated with HRCT scan. The clinical, pathological, and radiological characteristics of these cases were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-one adenocarcinoma and 14 benign nodules were observed. The nodules included 12 (15%) adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), 14 (17%) minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), and 55 (68%) invasive adenocarcinoma (IA). No patients with recurrence till date have been identified. The positive expression rates of anaplastic lymphoma kinase and ROS-1 (proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase ROS) were only 2.5% and 8.6%, respectively. The specificity and accuracy of HRCT of invasive lung adenocarcinoma were 85.2% and 87.4%. The standard uptake values of only two patients determined by 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) were above 2.5. The size, density, shape, and pleural tag of nodules were significant factors that differentiated IA from AIS and MIA. Moreover, the size, shape, margin, pleural tag, vascular cluster, bubble-like sign, and air bronchogram of nodules were significant determinants for mixed ground-glass opacity nodules (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: We analyzed the clinical, pathological, and radiological characteristics of SGGNs on HRCT and found that the size, density, shape, and pleural tag of SGGNs on HRCT are found to be the determinant factors of IA. In conclusion, detection of anaplastic lymphoma kinase expression and performance of PET/CT scan are not routinely recommended.

Suppressive effects of microRNA-16 on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

miR-16 is known to be abnormally expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, and the overexpression of miR-16 inhibits the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of various cancer cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are closely related to the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of HCC. The present study aimed to explore the effects of miR-16 on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of HCC cells, and to elucidate the mechanisms involved. A cell line with moderate levels of miR­16 expression was selected from the SMMC-7721, HepG2, SK-Hep-1 and Huh­7 HCC cells and validated by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). The effects of miR­16 on HCC cell viability were determined by MTT assay; cell migration and invasion were determined by Transwell cell invasion assay, and apoptosis was determined by flow cytometery (FCM). Western blot analysis was used to measure the expression levels of the apoptosis-related proteins, Bax, Bcl-2, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, as well as to examine epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and E-cadherin, vimentin, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway-related protein expression. The mRNA expression levels of miR­16 were highest in the SMMC-7721 cells and lowest in the SK-Hep­1 and Huh­7 cells; moderate levels were observed in the HepG2 cells. The HepG2 cell line was selected as the cell line for use in the follow-up experiments, where we measured cell viability, and the expression of PI3k/Akt, Bax, Bcl-2, MMP-2 and MMP-9, and E-cadherin and vimentin. miR­16 overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of the HepG2 cells, as shown by western blot analysis. This was achieved through the upregulation of Bax expression, the downregulation of Bcl-2 expression and the decrease in the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. In addition the expression of E-cadherin increased and vimentin expression decreased. miR­16 overexpression inhibited PI3K expression and Akt phosphorylation. The results of this study suggest that the overexpression of miR­16 inhibits the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of HepG2 HCC cells, and that these effects are associated with the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Immunohistochemical differentiation between type B3 thymomas and thymic squamous cell carcinomas.

Type B3 thymomas and thymic squamous cell carcinomas have some overlapping histological features, so it is difficult to make the differential diagnosis between these two entities, especially when the biopsy specimen is small. Only a few markers such as CD5 and CD 117 were applied to the differential diagnosis, the purpose of this study is to identify other diagnostic markers to help making the differential diagnosis more accurate. GLUT-1, MUC-1, CD117, CD5, CEA, P63, CK19, CK5/6, CD1a and TdT were evaluated using 16 cases of type B3 thymoma and 20 cases of thymic squamous cell carcinoma. Staining scores were obtained by calculating the percentage of positive cells. The sensitivity of GLUT-1 or MUC-1 for thymic squamous cell carcinomas was highest (100%), followed by CK5/6 (95%), CD117 (90%), P63 (85%), CD5 (80%) and CEA (75%). The specificities of CD5, CD117 and CEA for thymic squamous cell carcinomas all were 100%, next was MUC-1 (56.3%), followed by GLUT-1 (50%), P63 (25%), CK5/6 (12.5%). The sensitivities of CK19, TdT, and CD1a for type B3 thymomas were 100%, 93.8% and 87.5%, respectively. The specificity of CD1a for type B3 thymomas was highest (100%), followed by TdT (95%), CK19 (10%). The reactivity of GLUT-1, MUC-1, CD117, CD5, CEA, CD1a and TdT in thymic squamous cell carcinomas and type B3 thymomas had significant difference. Usually a panel of markers is needed, if we combine GLUT-1 or MUC-1 which sensitivity for thymic squamous cell carcinomas is highest with CD5, CD117, CEA, CD1a or TdT which have high specificity, we can make the differential diagnosis effectively.

ACTH-secreting pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma with ovarian and pelvic metastases causing Cushing's syndrome: a case report.

Adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH)-secreting pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) with ovarian and pelvic metastases causing Cushing's syndrome is very rare and might be misdiagnosed. We describe a case of ACTH-secreting pancreatic poorly differentiated NEC developing bilateral ovarian and pelvic metastases. A 27-year-old woman presented with thirst, polydipsia, fatigue and poorly controlled hyperglycemia. Laboratory and imaging investigations revealed hypokalemia, hyperglycaemia, ACTH-dependent hypercortisolemia and a 12-cm mass at the junction of body and tail of the pancreas with ovarian and pelvic nodules. The patient underwent partial pancreatectomy and splenectomy, uterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, and excision of peritoneal nodules. Tumors in pancreas, ovaries and pelvis were diagnosed as poor-differentiated NEC. After 19-month chemotherapy, she developed pelvic metastasis. The tumor in our case is a large, poorly differentiated NEC secreting ACTH and causing CS, with ovarian metastases. To our knowledge, this new additional case of ACTH-secreting pancreatic NEC with ovarian metastases would add to the better understanding of this tumor.

Immunohistochemical screening and fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmation of ALK translocation in lung adenocarcinoma and its clinicopathological significance: a single-center large-scale investigation of Chinese patients.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocation-positive adenocarcinoma of the lung is a newly recognized molecular subgroup. Limited data on the clinicopathological features of this entity in the Chinese population are available. We performed immunohistochemical staining for the ALK protein and fluorescence in situ hybridization detection of the ALK translocation. We enrolled 793 Chinese patients with lung adenocarcinoma and identified 54 ALK translocation-positive patients (6.8%) in the group. Compared with the entire group of patients, ALK translocation-positive patients were younger (P < .01) and more likely to be nonsmokers (P = .017), but presented with a higher percentage of advanced-stage disease (P = .022) and lymph node metastases (P = .006). ALK translocation-positive patients more commonly exhibited poorly differentiated tumor histology and a predominantly solid tumor growth pattern relative to the ALK translocation-negative patients. Morphologically, ALK translocation was associated with extracellular mucus secretion, a mucinous cribriform structure, and signet ring cell (SRC) components. ALK translocation was present in 42.5% and 34.0% of adenocarcinomas with SRC components or wild-type EGFR, respectively. ALK translocation, occurring at a frequency of 6.8% in Chinese patients, defines a unique molecular subgroup of lung tumors. Fluorescence in situ hybridization should be performed in each case of lung adenocarcinoma with SRC components or wild-type EGFR to identify ALK translocation-positive patients.

Thymic epithelial tumors: a clinicopathologic study of 249 cases from a single institution.

The WHO histological classification for thymic epithelial tumors of 2004 edition is widely used, but its prognostic value is still controversial. In the present study we collected 249 Chinese patients with thymic epithelial tumors from West China Hospital of Sichuan University since 1999-2009 to assess the prognosis relating to tumor stages, histological classifications, MG and adjuvant therapy. There were 18 cases of type A (7.2%), 97 of type AB (39.0%), 22 of type B1 (8.8%), 63 of type B2 (25.3%), 16 of type B3 (6.5%) thymomas and 33 of thymic carcinomas (13.3%). According to the Massaoka staging, there were 107 patients in stage I (43%), 73 patients in stage II (29.3%), 50 patients in stage III (20.1%) and 19 in stage IV (7.6%). 101 patients (40.6%) complicated with MG, the incidence of MG was highest in type B3 thymomas, then in B2, none of thymic carcinomas complicated with MG. Cox regression analysis showed the Masaoka stage was the most important prognostic factor. Besides of staging, WHO histological classification was also an independent prognostic factor. The age, gender, MG and adjuvant therapy have no significant influence to the prognosis of the patients.