A case of pulmonary paragonimiasis with involvement of the abdominal muscle in a 9-year-old girl

In Korea, many people enjoy eating raw or underkooked freshwater crayfish and crabs which unfortunately may cause paragonimiasis. Here, we describe a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a 9-year-old girl, who presented with a 1-month history of abdominal pain, especially in the right flank and the right inguinal area, with anorexia. A chest radiograph revealed pleural effusion in both lungs, and her abdominal sonography indicated an inflammatory lesion in the right psoas muscle. Peripheral blood analysis of the patient showed hypereosinophilia (66.0%) and an elevated total serum IgE level (>2,500 IU/ml). The pleural effusion tested by ELISA were also positive for antibodies against paragonimiasis. Her dietary history stated that she had ingested raw freshwater crab, 4 months previously. The diagnosis was pulmonary paragonimiasis accompanied by abdominal muscle involvement. She was improved after 5 cycles of praziquantel treatment and 2 times of pleural effusion drainage. In conclusion, herein, we report a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a girl who presented with abdominal pain and tenderness in the inguinal area.     

Possible involvement of SDF-1α/CXCR4-DPPIV axis in TGF-β1-induced enhancement of migratory potential in human peritoneal mesothelial cells

We have previously reported that human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) express a large amount of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) and that its expression is regulated by a variety of bioactive substances in malignant ascites from ovarian cancer patients. The aim of this study has been to examine the expression and role of the SDF-1α/CXCR4-DPPIV axis in HPMCs. We have demonstrated that the expression levels of DPPIV and E-cadherin in HPMCs decrease, following TGF-β1-induced morphological change, in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, we show that both SDF-1α (a chemokine and substrate for DPPIV) and its receptor, CXCR4, are expressed on HPMCs, and that their expression levels are upregulated by TGF-β1 treatment, resulting in an increased migratory potential of HPMCs. Furthermore, the migratory potential of HPMCs is significantly enhanced in the presence of SDF-1α or DPPIV-specific inhibitor in the wound-healing assay. These results suggest that DPPIV and SDF-1α/CXCR4 play crucial roles in regulating the migratory potential of HPMCs, which may be involved in the re-epithelialization of denuded basement membrane at the site of peritoneal injury.     

Cytomorphological and immunocytochemical study of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in pleural effusion and ascitic fluid

INTRODUCTION: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is often complicated by pleural effusion and ascites. The present study is an attempt to categorize the lymphomatous effusions according to the WHO classification, using archival material. METHODS: May-Grünwald-Giemsa and Papanicolaou-stained smears of 31 lymphomatous effusion specimens were reviewed. Of these, detailed cytological assessment was done on 12 pleural effusions and ten ascitic fluid specimens from 22 patients using the WHO lymphoma classification system. Immunocytochemical studies were performed in 21 specimens. RESULTS: Based on cytomorphological features, the 22 lymphomatous effusion specimens were categorized into lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma (1), follicle centre cell (FCC) grade-1 (centrocytic) lymphoma (3), FCC grade-2 (centrocytic-centroblastic) lymphoma (3), FCC grade-3 (centroblastic) lymphoma (4), large cell immunoblastic lymphoma (4), lymphoblastic lymphoma (2), anaplastic large cell lymphoma (3) and miscellaneous types (2). Immunocytochemically, the lymphoma cells were T-cell (positive for CD3) and B-cell type (CD20 positive) in five and six cases respectively. CONCLUSION: Cytological examination of pleural effusion and ascitic fluid samples, supported by immunocytochemical studies, may be useful for the classification of lymphomas under the WHO system.     

Preferential production of IL-12 by peritoneal macrophages activated by liposomes prepared from neoglycolipids containing oligomannose residues

The present study demonstrates that liposomes coated with synthesized neoglycolipids constructed from mannotriose and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (Man3-DPPE) activate peritoneal macrophages (PEMs) to up-regulate expression of co-stimulatory molecules and preferentially secrete IL-12. Injection of Man3-DPPE-coated liposomes (oligomannose-coated liposome, OMLs) into the peritoneal cavity of mice resulted in specific and rapid incorporation of OMLs into PEMs. Upon OML incorporation, expression of co-stimulatory molecules, CD40, CD80, and CD86, and of MHC class II molecules was clearly enhanced on PEMs. In addition, production of IL-12 from PEMs was clearly promoted in response to OML incorporation, while those of IL-1 and IL-6 were suppressed. In contrast, liposomes coated with other carbohydrates and those without a carbohydrate-coating did not induce production of these cytokines. The cytokine profile produced from PEMs in response to OML clearly differed from those in response to ligands for TLRs, in which productions of IL-1 and/or IL-6 were strongly enhanced. Taken together, the results indicate that OMLs activate PEMs through a particular type of signal pathway distinct from those activated with TLR ligands, leading to specific production of IL-12 and consequent maturation of PEMs. Thus, OMLs can be used as a novel adjuvant for efficient activation of specific cellular immunity.     

Sangivamycin induces apoptosis by suppressing Erk signaling in primary effusion lymphoma cells

Sangivamycin, a structural analog of adenosine and antibiotic exhibiting antitumor and antivirus activities, inhibits protein kinase C and the synthesis of both DNA and RNA. Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is an aggressive neoplasm caused by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in immunosuppressed patients and HIV-infected homosexual males. PEL cells are derived from post-germinal center B cells, and are infected with KSHV. Herein, we asked if sangivamycin might be useful to treat PEL. We found that sangivamycin killed PEL cells, and we explored the underlying mechanism. Sangivamycin treatment drastically decreased the viability of PEL cell lines compared to KSHV-uninfected B lymphoma cell lines. Sangivamycin induced the apoptosis of PEL cells by activating caspase-7 and -9. Further, sangivamycin suppressed the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and Akt, thus inhibiting activation of the proteins. Inhibitors of Akt and MEK suppressed the proliferation of PEL cells compared to KSHV-uninfected cells. It is known that activation of Erk and Akt signaling inhibits apoptosis and promotes proliferation in PEL cells. Our data therefore suggest that sangivamycin induces apoptosis by inhibiting Erk and Akt signaling in such cells. We next investigated whether sangivamycin, in combination with an HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin (GA) or valproate (valproic acid), potentiated the cytotoxic effects of the latter drugs on PEL cells. Compared to treatment with GA or valproate alone, the addition of sangivamycin enhanced cytotoxic activity. Our data thus indicate that sangivamycin may find clinical utility as a novel anti-cancer agent targeting PEL.     

Differential proteome profiling of pleural effusions from lung cancer and benign inflammatory disease patients

The pleural effusion proteome has been found containing information that directly reflects pathophysiological status and represents a potential diagnostic value for pulmonary diseases. However, the variability in protein composition between malignant and benign effusions is not well understood. Herein, we investigated the changes of proteins in pleural effusions from lung adenocarcinoma and benign inflammatory disease (pneumonia and tuberculosis) patients by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). Twenty-eight protein spots displayed significantly different expression levels were positively identified by MALDI-TOF-MS representing 16 unique proteins. Five identified protein candidates were further validated and analyzed in effusions, sera or tissues. Among them, hemopexin, fibrinogen gamma and transthyretin (TTR) were up-regulated in cancer samples. The effusion concentration of serum amyloid P component (SAP) was significantly lower in lung cancer patients than in benign inflammatory patients, but no differences were found in sera samples. Moreover, a Jumonji C (JmjC)-domain-containing protein, JMJD5, was observed to be down-regulated in malignant effusions, lung cancer tissues and cancer cells. These results shed light on the altered pleural effusion proteins as a useful and important complement to plasma or other routine clinical tests for pulmonary disease diagnosis.     

胃癌腹膜转移的细胞学及分子生物学检测进展

胃癌是常见的肿瘤之一,在消化道肿瘤中占首位。胃癌的临床病变缺乏特异性,大部分患者就诊时已发生了转移,多数病例就诊时已为进展期或晚期。腹膜转移是胃癌最常见的转移形式,胃癌的腹膜转移是造成患者预后差的主要原因,因此,及时地诊断腹膜转移,从而采取相应治疗,对提高患者术后生存率具有重要意义。     

NSE、CEA 和CYFRA21-1 测定对胸腔积液的诊断价值

目的:探讨神经元烯醇化酶(NSE)、癌胚抗原(CEA)和细胞角蛋白19(CYFRA21-1)测定对胸腔积液的诊断价值。方法:选择我院2009年4月～2011年9月收治的胸腔积液患者89例作为研究对象,按照胸腔积液性质分为两组,良性组47例,恶性组42例,对两组的NSE、CEA和CYFRA21-1测定结果进行比较分析。结果:恶性组患者血清和胸腔积液中NSE、CEA和CYFRA21-1水平均明显高于良性组,组间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);NSE、CEA和CYFRA21-1联合检测对恶性胸腔积液的敏感性均明显高于单独NSE、CEA和CYFRA21-1检测,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:NSE、CEA和CYFRA21-1测定对胸腔积液具有临床诊断价值,且三者联合检测能够明显提高诊断敏感性。     

Limitations of detection of malignancy in pleural effusions using ELISA-based TRAP assay: comparison with cytological examination

OBJECTIVE: Telomerase is active in almost all cancers from various organs but is not detectable in most normal cells. Thus, telomerase activity might be a universal and specific marker for diagnosing malignancy. The aim was to evaluate the potential use of the ELISA-based TRAP assay to detect malignancy in pleural effusion, and to compare it with conventional cytological examination. METHODS: Using the ELISA-based TRAP assay, telomerase activity was examined in 94 consecutive pleural effusions submitted for cytological examination. RESULTS: According to the results of cytology, the 94 samples were divided into two groups: group I, 79 non-malignant pleural effusions, including group IA, no association with a malignant tumour, a control group (n = 63), and group IB, associated with a malignant tumour (n = 16); and group II, 15 malignant pleural effusions. Telomerase activity was detected in five of 63 samples in group IA (7.9%), four of 16 samples in group IB (25%), and six of 15 samples in group II (40%). All five false-positive effusions were from patients with tuberculosis. Comparing group II with group IA, the TRAP assay showed 40% sensitivity, 92.1% specificity, 54.5% positive and 86.6% negative predictive value, and 82.1% accuracy. However, the detection rate of the TRAP assay (88.9%) was higher than that of the cytological examination (66.7%) in lung cancer-inflicted pleural effusions. CONCLUSION: The ELISA-based TRAP assay is relatively insensitive; therefore, it is unsuitable as a routine diagnostic tool for pleural effusion. False-positive telomerase activity due to lymphocytic contamination may weaken its diagnostic value for malignant effusions in a tuberculosis-endemic area.