[MRI findings and pathological features of occult breast cancer].

Objective: To investigate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and clinicopathological features of primary lesions in patients with occult breast cancer (OBC). Methods: The imaging reports from the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System in 2013 were retrospectively analyzed to investigate the morphology and the time signal intensity curve (TIC) of breast lesions in patients with OBC. The clinical and pathological characteristics of these patients were also included. Results: A total of 34 patients were enrolled. Among these patients, 24 patients underwent modified radical mastectomy and 18 of them had primary breast carcinoma in pathological sections. MRI detected 17 cases of primary lesions, including six masse lesions with a diameter of 0.6-1.2 cm (average 0.9 cm), and 11 non-mass lesions with four linear distributions, three segmental distributions, three focal distributions, and one regions distribution. Five patients had TIC typeⅠprimary lesions, ten had TIC type Ⅱ primary lesions, and two had TIC type Ⅲ primary lesions. Among all 34 cases, 23 of them had complete results of immunohistochemistry: 11 estrogen receptor (ER) positive lesions (47.8%), tenprogesterone receptor (PR) positive lesions (43.5%), seven human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) positive lesions (30.4%), and 20high expression(>14%) of Ki-67 (87.0%). The proportion of type luminal A was 4.3%, type luminal B was 43.5%, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) was 30.4%, and HER-2 over expression accounted for 21.7%. Conclusions: The primary lesions of OBC usually manifested as small mass lesions, or focal, linear or segmental distribution of non-mass lesions. The positive rate of ER and PR was low, but the positive rate of HER-2 and the proliferation index of Ki-67 was high. Type luminal B is the most common molecular subtype.

[Evaluation of progression-free survival for locally advanced rectal cancer by MRI after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and total mesorectal excision].

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of MRI features and pathological parameters on local recurrence, metastasis and progression free survival (PFS) for locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and subsequent total mesorectal excision surgery. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 95 patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent total mesorectal excision after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was performed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the predictive value of MRI features before chemoradiation and postoperative pathological parameters on progression free survival. Results: Among the 95 cases, 5 cases occured local recurrence, 21 cases developed, 3 cases including both locally recurrence and distant metastasis, 19 died and 47 had no recurrence or metastasis at the last of follow-up. Univariant analysis showed that MRI signs before chemoradiation, namely, mr circumferential resection margin, mr levator ani muscle invasion, mr lymphatic vessel invasion, mr tumor deposition and postoperative pathological parameters, yp circumferential resection margin, yp lymphatic vessel invasion were related to PFS (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis of Cox proportional hazard model showed that mr lymphatic vessel invasion and mr tumor deposition were independent factors for PFS (OR=2.774 and 3.029, P<0.05). Conclusions: Lymphatic vessel invasion and tumor deposition on MRI are independent prognostic factors for progression free survival of locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and TME surgery. To some extent, MRI signs can assess local recurrence and distant metastasis in locally advanced rectal cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and mesorectal excision.

Up-regulation of KCa3.1 promotes human airway smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation.

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell phenotype modulation, characterized by reversible switching between contractile and proliferative phenotypes, is considered to contribute to proliferative diseases such as allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). KCa3.1 has been suggested to be involved in regulating ASM cell activation, proliferation, and migration. However, little is known regarding the exact role of KCa3.1 in ASM cell phenotypic modulation. To elucidate the role of KCa3.1 in regulating ASM cell phenotypic modulation, we investigated the effects of KCa3.1 channels on ASM contractile marker protein expression, proliferation and migration of primary human bronchial smooth muscle (BSM) cells. We found that PDGF increased KCa3.1 channel expression in BSM cells with a concomitant marked decrease in the expression of contractile phenotypic marker proteins including smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMMHC), smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA), myocardin and KCa1.1. These changes were significantly attenuated by the KCa3.1 blocker, TRAM-34, or gene silencing of KCa3.1. Pharmacological blockade or gene silencing of KCa3.1 also suppressed PDGF-induced human BSM cell migration and proliferation accompanied by a decrease in intracellular free Ca(2+) levels as a consequence of membrane depolarization, resulting in a reduction in cyclin D1 level and cell cycle arrest at G0-G1 phase. Additionally, PDGF-induced up-regulation of KCa3.1 and down-regulation of BSM contractile marker proteins were regulated by the ERK inhibitor U0126 and the AKT inhibitor LY294002. These findings highlight a novel role for the KCa3.1 channel in human BSM cell phenotypic modulation and provide a potential target for therapeutic intervention for proliferative airway diseases.

TNF-α-induced CXCL8 production by A549 cells: involvement of the non-neuronal cholinergic system.

It was recently suggested that the non-neuronal cholinergic system has a regulatory role in pulmonary inflammation. We investigated this system's involvement in the control of cytokine production by the A549 human alveolar epithelial cell line. CXCL8 and acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations were measured using ELISA and LC-MS/MS, respectively. The mRNA expression of muscarinic receptor (MR) subtypes was determined using RT-PCR. In A549 cells, TNF-α increased the release of CXCL8 and ACh and the expression of the subtype 3 MR (M3R). Furthermore, TNF-α-induced CXCL8 secretion was (i) inhibited by the MR antagonist tiotropium and the M3R antagonist 4-DAMP and (ii) enhanced by the M1/M3R agonist pilocarpine and the cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine. Taken as a whole, these results suggest that ACh release by A549 cells enhances TNF-α-induced CXCL8 secretion through activation of the M3R. Western blot analysis revealed that pilocarpine and physostigmine enhanced the TNF-α-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK and the degradation of IκBα. Inhibition of these pathways with specific inhibitors abrogated the pilocarpine-induced CXCL8 release. Our results suggest that the TNF-α-induced secretion of CXCL8 in A549 cells is regulated by the release of ACh, the latter's binding to the M3R and the downstream activation of NF-κB and the ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. Our findings suggest that MR antagonists may have anti-inflammatory effects by preventing pro-inflammatory events driven by endogenous, non-neuronal ACh.