Regulation of human airway mucins by acrolein and inflammatory mediators.
(1/163)
Bronchitis, asthma, and cystic fibrosis, marked by inflammation and mucus hypersecretion, can be caused or exacerbated by airway pathogens or irritants including acrolein, an aldehyde present in tobacco smoke. To determine whether acrolein and inflammatory mediators alter mucin gene expression, steady-state mRNA levels of two airway mucins, MUC5AC and MUC5B, were measured (by RT-PCR) in human lung carcinoma cells (NCI-H292). MUC5AC mRNA levels increased after >/=0.01 nM acrolein, 10 microM prostaglandin E2 or 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, 1.0 nM tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), or 10 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (a protein kinase C activator). In contrast, MUC5B mRNA levels, although easily detected, were unaffected by these agonists, suggesting that irritants and associated inflammatory mediators increase mucin biosynthesis by inducing MUC5AC message levels, whereas MUC5B is constitutively expressed. When transcription was inhibited, TNF-alpha exposure increased MUC5AC message half-life compared with control level, suggesting that transcript stabilization is a major mechanism controlling increased MUC5AC message levels. Together, these findings imply that irritants like acrolein can directly and indirectly (via inflammatory mediators) increase airway mucin transcripts in epithelial cells. (+info)
Sclerosing Mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia of the thyroid glands: a case report with clinical manifestation of recurrent neck mass.
(2/163)
Sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia (SMECE) is a recently recognized malignant neoplasm of the thyroid gland. About 14 cases of SMECE have been reported and this is the first reported case in Korea. A 57-year-old woman presented with right neck mass for 20 years. Total thyroidectomy was performed under the impression of thyroid carcinoma. The resected thyroid gland showed a poorly circumscribed hard mass. Histologically, the tumor consisted of solid nests of large atypical cells with dense fibrous stroma. The tumor cells showed squamoid appearance with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. There were also rare mucin-containing cells within the nests. Within the hyalinized stroma, numerous eosinophils were found. The surrounding thyroid parenchyma displayed Hashimoto's thyroiditis. There was metastasis in a regional lymph node. Two years after initial surgery, she underwent a modified radical neck dissection due to recurrent neck mass. After the radiation therapy for eight weeks, laryngectomy and esophagectomy were performed due to a recurrent carcinoma in the esophageal wall. We report an additional case of SMECE, with metastasis to regional lymph nodes and esophagus. The tumor appears to be more aggressive than previously reported and a correct diagnosis can be rendered by just examining the metastatic lesions. (+info)
Characterization of CFTR expression in a human pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma cell line, NCI-H292 cells.
(3/163)
The NCI-H292 cell, a human pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma cell line, is commonly used for studying bacterial and viral infections of airway epithelial cells. Dysfunction of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is the main cause of fetal lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients. In this study, we examined CFTR expression in NCI-H292 cells to determine whether NCI-H292 cells possess sufficient, normally functioning CFTR. The results of RT-PCR and Northern blotting analysis indicated that the CFTR gene expression level was much lower in NCI-H292 cells than in T84 cells. However, Western blotting analysis showed that protein expression in NCI-H292 cells was comparable to that in T84 cells. Furthermore, whole-cell and cell-attached patch clamp electrophysiological techniques indicated that the Cl- current induced by intracellular cAMP elevation in NCI-H292 cells was comparable to that in T84 cells. These findings suggest that NCI-H292 cells with a low level of CFTR gene expression possess enough functional CFTR to show a physiological response. (+info)
Salivary gland tumors in Jordan: a retrospective study of 221 patients.
(4/163)
AIM: To evaluate the types and clinical outcome of salivary gland tumors in Jordan. METHODS: Hospital records of 221 patients (85 women and 136 men) with salivary gland tumors, diagnosed from January 1988 to December 1997 were reviewed. The patients were analyzed according to sex, age, histopathological type and site of the tumor. Survival curves for patients with malignant tumors were constructed using Kaplan-Meier's method. RESULTS: Of the total 221 salivary gland tumors, 155 (70.2%) were parotid tumors, 42 (19%) minor salivary gland tumors, 23 (10.4%) submandibular gland tumors, and a single (0.4%) sublingual gland tumor. Most of the tumors (151, or 68.4%) were classified as benign and 70 (31.6%) were malignant. Men to women ratio was 1.6:1, and the age of the patients ranged from 2 to 81 years. The overall 5 and 10 year-survival rates for the 70 malignant tumors were 67% and 53%, respectively, for all tumor stages. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma had the best, and squamous cell carcinoma the worst 10-year survival rate. Patients treated with surgery and subsequent radiation therapy had better survival rates than those treated with surgery or radiation therapy alone. CONCLUSION: The principal site for salivary gland tumors in Jordan population was the parotid, and the pleo- morphic adenoma the most common pathological finding. Tumor characteristics and survival data for the Jordanian population are comparable to those from western countries. (+info)
Detection of circulating anti-p53 antibodies in esophageal cancer patients.
(5/163)
It has been reported that circulating anti-p53 antibodies (p53-Ab) in the serum are detected in some cancers. To investigate the usefulness of detecting p53-Ab, we measured the circulating p53-Ab in comparison with squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) in patients with esophageal carcinoma. Serum specimens from 46 esophageal cancer patients (42 squamous cell carcinomas, 3 mucoepidermoid carcinomas and 1 basaloid squamous carcinoma) and 13 healthy subjects were studied. Serum p53-Ab was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Surgically resected specimens from 43 patients were immunohistochemically stained for p53. Serum SCC-Ag was measured by a radioimmunoassay. The results were analyzed with the clinical data and outcome. Serum p53-Ab was detected in 13 (28%) of the 46 patients, but not in any of the healthy subjects. The positive rate was 0% (0/6) in stage I, 60% (3/5) in stage IIA, 30% (3/10) in stage IIB, 29% (7/24) in stage III and 0% (0/1) in stage IV. There was no difference in the outcome between the p53-Ab-positive and p53-Ab-negative patients. Immunohistochemically, 30 (70%) of the 43 specimens stained positively for p53. Serum p53-Ab was detected in 43% (13/30) of the patients with tumors which stained positively for p53. There was a close correlation between positivity for p53 immunostaining and positivity for p53-Ab (p<0.01). An elevated level of SCC-Ag was found in only 13%of the patients, and most patients positive for SCC-Ag already had advanced disease with lymph node metastasis and invasion to the adventitia. In conclusion, serum p53-Ab was detected in Japanese esophageal cancer patients at a frequency similar to that reported in Western countries. Serum p53-Ab may be a potentially useful molecular marker for detection and screening of esophageal cancer. Further studies of a large population may be required to elucidate the true diagnostic usefulness of measuring the serum p53-Ab. (+info)
Failure patterns and factors affecting prognosis of salivary gland carcinoma: retrospective study.
(6/163)
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the failure patterns and the prognostic factors following postoperative radiotherapy for salivary gland carcinoma. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University teaching hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS: Fifty patients who had non-disseminated salivary gland carcinoma and who received primary treatment from 1984 through 1993. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic data, cancer T- and N-stages, histological type, site of origin, completeness of surgery, whether postoperative radiotherapy was given, and the clinical outcome. RESULTS: Two (4%) patients had been treated with radiotherapy alone, six (12%) had undergone radical resection alone, and 42 (84%) had been radically treated by using both modalities. The 5-year overall survival and relapse-free survival rates were 78.4% and 63.1%, respectively. The free from local failure and free from distant metastasis rates at 5 years were 77.2% and 72.8%, respectively. The N-stage was a significant prognostic factor. The site of the primary tumour, T-stage, completeness of surgery, and use of postoperative radiotherapy were not significant independent prognosticators; however, among the T-stage tumours, the b-substage carcinomas had significantly fewer local failures (P=0.040) and better survival rates (P=0.038) than the a-substage carcinomas. There were seven (14%) locoregional failures without distant metastasis, seven (14%) cases of distant metastasis without locoregional failures, and four (8%) locoregional failures preceding distant metastasis; isolated regional relapse was rare (1/50; 2%). All regional failures (5/50; 10%) occurred ipsilateral to the primary lesion. There were no deaths due to lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma or acinic cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: The N-stage is the main prognostic factor of overall survival, relapse- and metastasis-free recovery, and success of treatment for salivary gland carcinoma. Optimal locoregional treatment can help reduce distant metastasis, and the maximal use of postoperative radiotherapy may contribute to improved locoregional control. Elective ipsilateral neck radiotherapy is indicated for lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma. (+info)
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands.
(7/163)
CONTEXT: Among the cytological and morphological properties of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, one of the most important criteria for measuring its biological behavior and aggressiveness is cell proliferation. In this way, immunohistochemical markers of cell proliferation have been found to be useful in tumor classification and have formed part of the prognostic and therapeutic studies of these pathologies. OBJECTIVE: To analyze 11 cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) using the proliferation activity marker (PCNA) and to determine its relationship to the grade of malignancy of these tumors. DESIGN: Correlation study. SETTING: Head and Neck Surgery Service of Heliopolis Hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil. SAMPLE: Slides of 11 cases of primary mucoepidermoid carcinomas of salivary glands were prepared according to routine techniques employed in the Oral Pathology Department of the Dentistry Faculty of Sao Paulo University, Brazil. They were fixed in a 10% formaldehyde solution and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. After this preparation the tumors were classified as low, intermediate and high grade of malignancy, according to the criteria established by Seifert & Sobin and Auclair, Goode & Ellis. The slides were sent for immunohistochemical processing to evaluate the positivity of proliferating cell nuclear antigen using the streptavidin biotin technique. MAIN MEASUREMENT: The correlation between proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression and the histological malignancy grade in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands. RESULTS: there were 4 cases (36%) of low grade, 4 cases (36%) of intermediate grade and 3 cases (27%) of high grade of malignancy. After a comparative study between histological features and immunohistochemical analysis, significant differences were observed (P < 0.01) for low, intermediate and high grades: 16.04%, 26.98% and 56.98% of proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in mucoepidermoid carcinoma, respectively. CONCLUSION: The proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression increases with the grade of malignancy in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands. (+info)
Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma and sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia of the thyroid gland: a report of nine cases.
(8/163)
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a rare primary thyroid tumor with indolent biologic potential. Two types of tumors have been described under this category: mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia (SMECE). The MEC shows both squamous and glandular differentiation in a background of a noninflamed gland, whereas SMECE is characterized by extensive sclerosis, squamous and glandular differentiation, a concomitant inflammatory infiltrate rich in eosinophils, and a background of lymphocytic thyroiditis. We present nine cases of these entities: five MEC and four SMECE. All tumors occurred in women (age 27 to 73 years). Five tumors showed extrathyroidal invasion and multiple lymph node metastases. One case of MEC showed a concomitant tall cell variant of papillary carcinoma with vascular invasion, and two cases showed intimately associated areas of usual papillary carcinoma. One of the latter cases also showed areas of transformation to anaplastic carcinoma. In all cases of SMECE and in only one case of MEC, the uninvolved thyroid tissue showed lymphocytic thyroiditis. Follow-up information was available in four of the nine cases (3 months to 7 years). Two patients with SMECE are alive with no evidence of disease. One patient with MEC and tall cell variant of papillary carcinoma died of disease after 3 months, and the patient with anaplastic carcinoma died after 5 months with lung metastasis. Both MEC and SMECE were positive for cytokeratin and negative for calcitonin. All cases of MEC were positive for thyroglobulin, whereas all cases of SMECE were negative. The immunohistochemical findings suggest that both MEC and SMECE have different histogenesis. (+info)