Caspase-4 promotes metastasis and interferon-γ-induced pyroptosis in lung adenocarcinoma.

Caspase-4 (CASP4) is a member of the inflammatory caspase subfamily and promotes inflammation. Here, we report that CASP4 in lung adenocarcinoma cells contributes to both tumor progression via angiogenesis and tumor hyperkinesis and tumor cell killing in response to high interferon (IFN)-γ levels. We observe that elevated CASP4 expression in the primary tumor is associated with cancer progression in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Further, CASP4 knockout attenuates tumor angiogenesis and metastasis in subcutaneous tumor mouse models. CASP4 enhances the expression of genes associated with angiogenesis and cell migration in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines through nuclear factor kappa-light chain-enhancer of activated B cell signaling without stimulation by lipopolysaccharide or tumor necrosis factor. CASP4 is induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress or IFN-γ via signal transducer and activator of transcription 1. Most notably, lung adenocarcinoma cells with high CASP4 expression are more prone to IFN-γ-induced pyroptosis than those with low CASP4 expression. Our findings indicate that the CASP4 level in primary lung adenocarcinoma can predict metastasis and responsiveness to high-dose IFN-γ therapy due to cancer cell pyroptosis.

Caspase-4 has a role in cell division in epithelial cells through actin depolymerization.

In addition to its role in pyroptosis and inflammatory cytokine maturation, caspase-4 (CASP4) also contributes to the fusion of phagosomes with lysosomes and cell migration. However, its role in cell division remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that CASP4 is indispensable for proper cell division in epithelial cells. Knockout of CASP4 (CASP4 KO) in HepG2 cells led to delayed cell proliferation, increased cell size, and increased multinucleation. In mitosis, CASP4 KO cells showed multipolar spindles, asymmetric spindle positioning, and chromosome segregation errors, ultimately increasing DNA content and chromosome number. We also found that phalloidin, a marker of filamentous actin, increased in CASP4 KO cells owing to suppressed actin depolymerization. Moreover, the levels of actin polymerization-related proteins, including Rho-associated protein kinase1 (ROCK1), LIM kinase1 (LIMK1), and phosphorylated cofilin, significantly increased in CASP4 KO cells. These results suggest that CASP4 contributes to proper cell division through actin depolymerization.

Favorable prognostic impact of phosphatase and tensin homolog alterations in wild-type isocitrate dehydrogenase and telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter glioblastoma.

Background: Telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERTp) mutations are a biological marker of glioblastoma; however, the prognostic significance of TERTp mutational status is controversial. We evaluated this impact by retrospectively analyzing the outcomes of patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)- and TERTp-wild-type glioblastomas. Methods: Using custom next-generation sequencing, we analyzed 208 glioblastoma samples harboring wild-type IDH. Results: TERTp mutations were detected in 143 samples (68.8%). The remaining 65 (31.2%) were TERTp-wild-type. Among the TERTp-wild-type glioblastoma samples, we observed a significant difference in median progression-free survival (18.6 and 11.4 months, respectively) and overall survival (not reached and 15.7 months, respectively) in patients with and without phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss and/or mutation. Patients with TERTp-wild-type glioblastomas with PTEN loss and/or mutation were younger and had higher Karnofsky Performance Status scores than those without PTEN loss and/or mutation. We divided the patients with TERTp-wild-type into 3 clusters using unsupervised hierarchical clustering: Good (PTEN and TP53 alterations; lack of CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion and platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) alterations), intermediate (PTEN alterations, CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion, lack of PDGFRA, and TP53 alterations), and poor (PDGFRA and TP53 alterations, CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion, and lack of PTEN alterations) outcomes. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that these clusters significantly correlated with the overall survival of TERTp-wild-type glioblastoma patients. Conclusions: Here, we report that PTEN loss and/or mutation is the most useful marker for predicting favorable outcomes in patients with IDH- and TERTp-wild-type glioblastomas. The combination of 4 genes, PTEN, TP53, CDKN2A/B, and PDGFRA, is important for the molecular classification and individual prognosis of patients with IDH- and TERTp-wild-type glioblastomas.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma of the third ventricle with intra-tumoral hemorrhage: A case report and literature review.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare brain tumor that most commonly arises in the cerebral white matter, basal ganglia, peri-ventricle or corpus callosum. Confinement of PCNSL to the third ventricle is extremely rare, and seldom presents with intratumoral hemorrhage (ITH). The present study described the case of a 75-year-old woman who presented with obstructive hydrocephalus due to third-ventricle PCNSL. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the tumor presented ITH on T2*-weighted images and a highly elevated regional cerebral blood volume on dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MRI (DSC-MRI). Due to the high elevation of the regional cerebral blood volume, high-grade glioma was suspected as a preoperative diagnosis. The patient underwent endoscopic tumor biopsy and third ventricle PCNSL was successfully diagnosed. The patient achieved good prognosis at an early stage after the start of treatment initiation. There are many differential considerations for a third-ventricle tumor, and DSC-MRI can help the differential diagnosis of these tumors. Furthermore, the presence of ITH can lead to the inaccurate estimation of regional cerebral blood volume values. Overall, silent or microhemorrhage in PCNSL may be underestimated, and clinicians should therefore carefully evaluate tumor vascularity by MRI.

Brain ischemia due to direct vascular compression associate with rapid enlargement of unruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysm: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Acute cerebral infarction is a rare complication resulting from an unruptured cerebral aneurysm (UCA). There is presently no consensus on the optimal strategy for the management of UCAs with cerebral infarctions. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 53-year-old man presented with transient dysarthria and left hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated the presence of a 7 mm UCA originating from the middle cerebral artery bifurcation, and diffusion-weighted imaging showed no evidence of cerebral infarction. One month later, his transient left hemiparesis recurred, and the patient was admitted to our hospital. Computed tomography angiography showed enlargement of the aneurysm. His left hemiparesis worsened 3 days later. MRI showed cerebral infarction in the area of perforating arteries and further enlargement of the aneurysm with surrounding parenchymal edema. Therefore, the rupture risk was considered to be rarely high and dome clipping was performed immediately. Postoperatively, his neurological status improved without any recurrent brain ischemia. CONCLUSION: We report a rare case of a rapidly enlarging aneurysm that presented with cerebral infarction. This is the first report describing aneurysmal sac enlargement that can lead to perforating artery obstruction and brain ischemia. The case illustrates the importance of performing close follow-up examinations to confirm findings that suggest a high rupture risk.

Posterior fossa subdural hematoma in a neonate with cleidocranial dysostosis after a spontaneous vaginal delivery: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Cleidocranial dysostosis (CCD) is an anomaly characterized by delayed closure of the cranial sutures, midface hypoplasia, moderately short stature, hypoplastic or aplastic clavicles, dental abnormalities, and other complications. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of posterior fossa subdural hematoma (PFSDH) after vaginal delivery in a neonate with CCD, which presented with several clinical symptoms such as apnea, vomiting, and bradycardia. Our patient, who had a family history of CCD, developed apnea and vomiting shortly after birth; PFSDH was detected by head computed tomography, and the patient recovered well following standard medical treatment. CONCLUSION: The prognosis of intracranial hemorrhage in neonates with CCD is generally poor. In neonates, PFSDH occurs by the following mechanism: the distortion of the infant's cranium during delivery, by the strong force, causes elongation of the falx and angulation of the tentorium that leads to tears in the posterior fossa venous structures, which then cause bleeding into the subdural space. In CCD, the forces occurring during vaginal delivery may causeexcessive distortion of the fragile skull. An awareness of CCD is hence important to avoid vaginal delivery in prenatally diagnosed CCD cases with a family history of CCD.