Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type with extensive cardiopulmonary involvement

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL-NT) is a rare type of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which usually presents with extranodal involvement and affects the nasal/upper aerodigestive tract in the classical presentation. Herein, we report the case of a 31-year-old, previously healthy, male patient diagnosed with ENKTL-NT with the involvement of the lung parenchyma and heart. Unfortunately, due to the rapid disease progression, the diagnosis was performed only at the autopsy. The authors highlight the rare clinical presentation of this type of lymphoma, as well as the challenging anatomopathological diagnosis in necrotic samples.

Morphologic Aspects of Interstitial Pneumonia With Autoimmune Features.

CONTEXT: - Interstitial lung disease, a common complication observed in several connective tissue diseases, causes significant morbidity and mortality. Similar to individuals with connective tissue diseases, a significant subgroup of patients with clinical and serologic characteristics suggestive of autoimmunity but without confirmed specific connective tissue disease presents with associated interstitial lung disease. These patients have been classified using different controversial nomenclatures, such as undifferentiated connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease, lung-dominant connective tissue disease, and autoimmune featured interstitial lung disease. The need for a better understanding and standardization of this entity, interstitial lung disease with autoimmune features, and the need for an adequate management protocol for patients resulted in the introduction of a new terminology in 2015: interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features. This new classification requires a better comprehension of its diagnostic impact and the influence of its morphologic aspects on the prognosis of patients. OBJECTIVE: - To review the diagnostic criteria for interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features, with an emphasis on morphologic aspects. DATA SOURCES: - The review is based on the available literature, and on pathologic, radiologic, and clinical experience. CONCLUSIONS: - The interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features classification seems to identify a distinct subgroup of patients with different prognoses. Studies show that nonspecific interstitial pneumonia and usual interstitial pneumonia are the most prevalent morphologic patterns and show discrepant results on the impact of the usual interstitial pneumonia pattern on survival. Prospective investigations are necessary to better define this subgroup and to determine the prognosis and appropriate clinical management of these patients.

Immunohistological features related to functional impairment in lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

BACKGROUND: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a low-grade neoplasm characterized by the pulmonary infiltration of smooth muscle-like cells (LAM cells) and cystic destruction. Patients usually present with airway obstruction in pulmonary function tests (PFTs). Previous studies have shown correlations among histological parameters, lung function abnormalities and prognosis in LAM. We investigated the lung tissue expression of proteins related to the mTOR pathway, angiogenesis and enzymatic activity and its correlation with functional parameters in LAM patients. METHODS: We analyzed morphological and functional parameters of thirty-three patients. Two groups of disease severity were identified according to FEV1 values. Lung tissue from open biopsies or lung transplants was immunostained for SMA, HMB-45, mTOR, VEGF-D, MMP-9 and D2-40. Density of cysts, density of nodules and protein expression were measured by image analysis and correlated with PFT parameters. RESULTS: There was no difference in the expression of D2-40 between the more severe and the less severe groups. All other immunohistological parameters showed significantly higher values in the more severe group (p ≤ 0.002). The expression of VEGF-D, MMP-9 and mTOR in LAM cells was associated with the density of both cysts and nodules. The density of cysts and nodules as well as the expression of MMP-9 and VEGF-D were associated with the impairment of PFT parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Severe LAM represents an active phase of the disease with high expression of VEGF-D, mTOR, and MMP-9, as well as LAM cell infiltration. Our findings suggest that the tissue expression levels of VEGF-D and MMP-9 are important parameters associated with the loss of pulmonary function and could be considered as potential severity markers in open lung biopsies of LAM patients.

Progressão microestrutural e molecular da lesão pulmonar em um modelo de Síndrome do Desconforto Respiratório Agudo / Microstructural and molecular progression of the pulmonary injury in a model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Introdução: O padrão de distribuição da lesão pulmonar na síndrome do desconforto respiratório agudo (SDRA) tem sido alvo de interesse de estudos com tomografia computadorizada. Entretanto, pouca informação é disponível quanto a distribuição e progressão histológica da lesão pulmonar na SDRA. Objetivos: Caracterizar a distribuição e progressão histológica da lesão pulmonar em modelo experimental de SDRA em suínos pela quantificação de parâmetros estruturais, inflamatórios e de remodelamento da matriz extracelular (MEC) e correlacioná-los com variáveis funcionais e de tomografia de impedância elétrica (TIE). Métodos: Vinte e três porcas da raça Landrace foram divididos em três grupos: 1) Sham (n=5): animais submetidos ao preparo e monitorização; 2) Lesão (n=9): animais submetidos ao protocolo de lesão e eutanasiados após 3 horas; 3) Lesão+MV: animais submetidos ao protocolo de lesão e eutanasiados após 40 horas de ventilação mecânica (VM) segundo a "estratégia ARDSnet". Os parâmetros histológicos foram mensurados por análise de imagem e incluíam: área alveolar, índice de espessamento septal, densidade neutrofílica, membrana hialina, hemorragia, edema intraalveolar e proporção de fibras colágenas. As medidas de cada parâmetro foram normalizadas pela mediana do grupo Sham. Expressão gênica de proteínas da MEC (colágeno tipo I e tipo III, versican, biglican e decorin) foram quantificados por PCR em tempo real. A ventilação regional foi mensurada por TIE. Foram analisadas regiões anteriores e posteriores do pulmão para cada variável. Resultados: A densidade neutrofílica foi menor no grupo Lesão+VM (p=0,02). A análise da área alveolar no grupo Lesão+VM mostrou que as regiões posteriores apresentaram menor área que as regiões anteriores (p=0,012). Entretanto, o espessamento septal foi maior no grupo Lesão+VM, especialmente nas regiões anteriores, quando comparado ao grupo Lesão (p <= 0,01)...

Introduction: The pattern of lesion distribution in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been addressed in computed tomography studies. However, there is little information concerning the progression and distribution of histological lung injury in ARDS. Objectives: To characterize the histological progression and distribution of lung injury in a pig ARDS model by the quantification of structural, inflammatory and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling parameters and to correlate them with functional and electrical impedance tomography (EIT) variables . Methods: Twenty-three healthy female Landrace pigs were divided into three groups: 1) Sham (n=5): animals subjected to preparation and monitoring; 2) Injury (n=9): animals subjected to the injury protocol and euthanized after 3 hours. 3) Injury+MV (n=9): animals subjected to the injury protocol and euthanized after 40 hours of ARDSnet mechanical ventilation. Histological parameters measured by image analysis included: alveolar area, septal thickening index, neutrophils density, hyaline membrane, hemorrhage, alveolar edema and collagen fibers content. The parameters values were normalized by Sham group median values. Gene expression of ECM proteins (collagen type I and type III, versican, biglycan and decorin) was quantified by Real Time-PCR. Regional ventilation was measured by EIT. For each variable the anterior and posterior regions of the lung were analyzed. Results: Density neutrophil was lesser in the Injury+MV group (p=0.02). Alveolar area in the posterior regions of the Injury+MV group was lesser than the anterior regions (p=0.012). However, the septal thickening was higher in Injury+MV group, especially in the anterior regions, when compared to the Injury group (p <= 0.01)...