Objective To investigate the clinicopathologic features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the primary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PLELC) of the lung. Methods Clinical and pathological data of one patient with PLELC of the lung were reviewed. PLELC of the lung was analyzed through review of literatures. Results A mass in the upper lobe of the left lung and atelectasis were detected by CT in a 36 year old nonsmoker male. He presented with cough, expectoration, fever and shortness of breath for one month. Neoplasm in left main bronchus was observed through bronchoscopy. Histological study showed cohesive clusters of comprising syncytial-appearing cells with vesicular nuclei and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Immunohistochemistry showed positive expression of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encoded small nuclear RNA. Nasal CT scan was negative for suspicious nasopharyngeal mucosal lesion or tumor. Then he was diagnosed as PLELC. The patient received docetaxel+nedaplatin regimens for 6 cycles with stable disease, but one month later after the end of chemotherapy, he was readmitted to hospital for dyspnea. CT scans showed progression of the lesion with massive pericardial effusion and pleural effusion. The patient could not tolerate chemotherapy, then received supportive treatment and died soon. Totally 18 Chinese articles and 25 foreign articles were screened out. Literature review suggested that patients with PLELC of the lung usually occurred in young nonsmokers and without gender difference. PLELC of the lung was closely associated with EBV infection. Its clinical manifestations were not specific, so that histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were the main method of diagnosis. PLELC of the lung may respond to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgery-based multimodality treatment was recommended. Patients with early or resectable disease had better prognosis, but patients with unresectable disease had poor prognosis. Conclusions PLELC of the lung may be closely associated with EBV infection. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis is the main method of diagnosis. Surgery-based multimodality treatment should be recommended because of its high response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Patients with early or resectable disease have better prognosis.
ObjectiveTo summarize the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatments of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP).MethodsThe clinical and pathological data of five patients with CEP diagnosed in this hospital between January 2011 and January 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.ResultsThere were five CEP cases including two males and three females, and one case with allergic rhinitis, two cases with bronchial asthma, two cases with allergic history, and one case with allergic skin rash. The main clinical manifestations were fever, cough, expectoration, shortness of breath and chest pain, and often accompanied by fatigue, anorexia and weight loss. The main signs included moist rales, scattered wheeze and crackles. There were significantly increased peripheral blood eosinophils count, the proportion of eosinophils, and the proportion of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in all five cases. The main imaging features were airway infiltration, real change shadow and ground glass shadow. All of five cases were treated with glucocorticoid, and one of them relapsed during follow-up.ConclusionsThe onset of CEP is insidious. The clinical manifestations of CEP are lack of specificity, and often associate with asthma and allergic dermatitis. Eosinophils significantly increase in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in most of CEP patients. The typical image is peripheral and subpleural distribution of lung infiltrates.
Objective To improve our recognition of ground-glass opacity (GGO) through analyzing the imaging and pathological features of patients with focal GGO lung nodule. Methods Thirty patients with focal GGO nodule were assigned into a preinvasive lesion group, a minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) group, and an invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) group. The imaging features were retrospectively analyzed and pathological features by histological Masson staining, collagen Ⅳ staining and Vitoria blue staining were also compared among three groups. Furthermore, the relationship between pathology and imaging characteristics was studied too. Results Among 30 patients with focal GGO nodule, preinvasive lesions, MIA and IAC respectively occurred in 13, 3 and 14 cases. Size of nodules and solid portion were highest in the IAC group, middle in the MIA group, and lowest in the preinvasive lesion group. Similarly, signs of lobulation, spiculation and air bronchogram were seen mostly in the IAC group, and least in preinvasive lesion group. The spatial relationship between GGO nodules and supplying blood vessels was analyzed, and Type Ⅲ was more commonly seen in the IAC group with comparison to type Ⅱ more likely seen in the preinvasive lesion group. Moreover, collagen Ⅳ and Vitoria blue staining indicated that reticular fibers and collagenous fibers lessened around tumor tissue in the IAC group, whereas collagenous fibers proliferation and fibrous scar were shown by Masson staining in the IAC group. In CT-pathologic comparison, type Ⅲ supplying blood vessels were mostly seen in the IAC patients with obvious fibrous scar. Conclusions Persistent focal GGO nodules with larger size and higher percent of solid component are signs of malignancy. In tumor progression process, tumor cells break the reticular fibers and collagenous fibers in alveolar wall, then stimulate fibroblast hyperplasia and secrete collagenous fibers, thereby develop the central fibrous scar in tumor tissue, which might be the pathologic foundation of vascular bundle sign.
ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of autophagy-related genes and proteins in the lung tissues of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsPulmonary tissues were obtained from the surgically resected lung tissues of patients with NSCLC who were clinical diagnosed. The lung cancer tissues were derived from the pathologically diagnosed NSCLC and the normal tissues were from lung tissues 5 cm away from the lung lesions (29 cases in the lung cancer group and 32 cases in the normal group). The expression of autophagy-related proteins ATG5, LC3B, and p62 in lung tissues were measured by Western blot, and mRNA expression of ATG5 and p62 in the lung tissues were measured by real-time PCR.ResultsWestern blot analysis showed that the expression of ATG5 and p62 in lung cancer group were significantly higher than those in normal group (P<0.05). However, the expression of LC3B in lung cancer group was significantly lower than that in normal group (P<0.05). Real-time PCR analysis found that the mRNA expression of ATG5 and p62 in lung cancer group were significantly higher than those in normal group (P<0.05). The expression of ATG5, LC3B and p62 had no relationship with gender, age, smoking history, tumor location, tumor size, clinicopathological classification, differentiation or TNM stage. The expression of ATG5 had statistical significance in lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), but there was no difference for LC3B or p62 in lymph node metastasis (P>0.05).ConclusionsAutophagy plays a role in the tumorigenesis of lung cancer. If it’s possible to regulate and control autophagy-related genes and proteins effectively, it may supply new insights or targets into treatment for lung cancer patients.
ObjectiveTo explore the diagnostic value of endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) for pulmonary fungal disease.MethodsAll patients were collected from January 2015 to December 2018. They were diagnosed with pulmonary fungal disease by tissue biopsy, body fluid or blood test, and without other diseases such as pneumonia, lung cancer, lung abscess, tuberculosis, or organizing pneumonia, etc. After clinical anti-fungal treatment, clinical symptoms were relieved, chest CT lesions were absorbed, laboratory-related checks were turned negative in these patients. All patients underwent bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid/brush examination, and blood galactomannan antigen test/latex agglutination test. They were divided into an EBUS-GS group and a non-EBUS-GS group according to whether EBUS-GS check was performed. Non-parametric test was used to analyze the diagnostic value of EBUS-GS in pulmonary fungal diseases.ResultsFifty-one patients were included and 20 patients in the EBUS-GS group and 31 patients in the non-EBUS-GS group. The EBUS-GS group had a higher positive rate of pulmonary fungal disease. The diagnostic rates of the EBUS-GS group and the non-EBUS-GS group were statistically different (90.0% vs. 48.4%, P<0.05).ConclusionEBUS-GS can improve the diagnosis rate of pulmonary fungal disease and provides further evidence for a clear diagnosis.