Search

Abstract Background To assess the effects of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection on the tumor microenvironment, we examined the relationship between viral infection status, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and tumor-associated macrophages in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods A tissue microarray containing 150 cores from 90 patients with NPC and six with chronic inflammation was used. EBV and HPV status were detected using in situ hybridization with commercial EBER1 and HPV16/18 probes. Immunofluorescence double staining of MIF, pan-macrophage marker CD68, M1 macrophage marker CD11c, and M2 macrophage marker CD163 were analyzed using the same tissue microarray. The levels of these markers between NPC and inflammation cases and between tumor nests and stroma were compared. Correlations among these markers were analyzed. Results We found EBER1(+) cases in 90% of NPC patients, including 10% EBV/HPV co-infection. M1 macrophages mainly infiltrated the tumor nest, while M2 macrophages infiltrated the tumor stroma. We found a significant positive correlation between EBER1 levels and MIF levels in tumor nests and a significant positive correlation between HPV16/18 and CD11c(+) cell levels in NPC tissues. Conclusions It is suggested that MIF is associated with EBV, and M1 macrophage infiltration is affected by HPV status in NPC.

Pyriform sinus fistula (PSF) is an anomaly that can arise due to failure of involution of the third or fourth branchial cleft during embryogenesis. It can manifest clinically as sinuses, cysts, or abscesses in the neck and is common in childhood. Herein, we describe a neonate who presented with neck swelling and respiratory distress, which was secondary to a fourth branchial pouch sinus. Physical examination revealed swollen areas in the posterolateral pharyngeal wall and on the external left side of the neck. Computed tomography imaging showed a left-sided mass that was filled with air and fluid. Eventually, the pyriform sinus cyst and the entire fistulous tract were excised. The postoperative course was uneventful. Follow-up after 18 months showed no recurrence.

The present study aimed to clarify the incidence and clinical outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the Chubu region of Japan from 2006 to 2015, compared with previous reports. A retrospective analysis was conducted based on medical records from 40 hospitals located in the Chubu region in the central Japanese main island, with a population of around 22.66 million individuals. This study was designed in line with to two previous clinical studies into NPC conducted in the same area of Japan. We recruited NPC patients diagnosed in hospitals across this area over a 10-year period (2006−2015) using a questionnaire about sex, age, primary site, clinical symptoms, pathology, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) staging, serological exam, treatment, and survival. A total of 620 NPC patients were identified. The age-standardized incidence of NPC from 2006 to 2015 was 0.27 per 100,000 individuals per year. There were no significant differences between this study and the previous two studies conducted in the same area of Japan. The five-year overall survival rate for all patients was 75.9%, while those for patients with stages I, II, III, and IVA were 97%, 91%, 79%, and 68%, respectively. The age-standardized annual incidence of NPC in the present study was 0.27 per 100,000 individuals per year, which was relatively low and stable. The five-year overall survival rate for all NPC patients was significantly improved in this decade compared with previous studies. The smoking rates in male and female NPC patients were 64.5% and 18.8%, respectively, thereby suggesting the involvement of smoking in the incidence of NPC.

Foreign body ingestion is a commonly encountered clinical problem. In particular, sharp foreign bodies lodged in the esophagus or hypopharynx can cause complications and require urgent removal. Removal by flexible esophagogastroduodenoscopy or rigid esophagoscopy is the treatment of choice and has high success rates, but cases in which these methods are unsuccessful must be treated with an external incision. A 62-year-old man was referred for a fish bone lodged in the hypopharynx that could not be removed by flexible esophagogastroduodenoscopy. We removed the bone transorally using a specially designed rigid curved laryngoscope. Based on our experience, this method may have clear practical value due to advantages of a wide field of view and use of multiple rigid forceps. Indications may be limited, but this novel method may reduce the limitations of noninvasive removal of foreign bodies.

Metastasis of thyroid cancer to the sternum is rare. Ablation is the therapy of choice for patients with metastasizing differentiated thyroid cancer, while surgical resection is an option for those with resectable bony metastasis. This report describes a case of a 65-year-old woman with a sternal tumor. The patient was treated by partial sternal resection and sternal reconstruction with new material polypropylene/expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) composite. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was free of recurrence after 1 year of follow-up. We conclude that surgery should be used to manage solid bony metastasis from thyroid papillary carcinoma. Further more, a polypropylene/ePTFE composite may be useful for sternal reconstruction after thoracotomy.

Giant cell reparative granuloma (GCRG) is an uncommon and nonneoplastic reactive tumor that involves the maxilla and mandible in the region of the head and neck. It is rare in the nasal cavity, and it might be misdiagnosed. We reported a very aggressive GCRG with intracranial invasion, which was treated surgically via a combined approach of a lateral rhinotomy with a craniotomy by bilateral coronal incision. The pathology was consistent with GCRG. A short literature review about diagnosis, clinical behavior, and treatment of this tumor entity is given.

Non-typeable Haemophilus influenza (NTHi) is an important human pathogen causing respiratory tract infections in both adults and children. NTHi infections are characterized by inflammation, which is mainly mediated by nuclear transcription factor kappaB (NF-kappaB)-dependent production of inflammatory mediators. The deubiquitinating enzyme cylindromatosis (CYLD), loss of which was originally reported to cause a benign human syndrome called cylindromatosis, has been identified as a key negative regulator for NF-kappaB in vitro. However, little is known about the role of CYLD in bacteria-induced inflammation in vivo. Here, we provided direct evidence for the negative role of CYLD in NTHi-induced inflammation of the mice in vivo. Our data demonstrated that CYLD is induced by NTHi in the middle ear and lung of mice. NTHi-induced CYLD, in turn, negatively regulates NTHi-induced NF-kappaB activation through deubiquitinating TRAF6 and 7 and down-regulates inflammation. Our data thus indicate that CYLD acts as a negative regulator for NF-kappaB-dependent inflammation in vivo, hence protecting the host against detrimental inflammatory response to NTHi infection.

Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) is considered a refractory and intractable disease. Patients with ECRS present with thick mucus production, long-term nasal congestion, loss of sense of smell, and intermittent acute exacerbations secondary to bacterial infections. Despite medical and surgical interventions, there is a high rate of recurrence with significant impairment to quality of life. The recent increasing prevalence of ECRS in south Asian countries and the strong tendency of ECRS to reoccur after surgery should be considered. The majority of cases need repeat surgery, and histological examinations of these cases show eosinophilic-dominant inflammation. The degradation and accumulation of eosinophils, release of cytokines, and mucus secretion have important roles in the pathogenesis of ECRS. ECRS differs from non-ECRS, in which eosinophils are not involved in the pathogenesis of the disease, and also in terms of many clinical characteristics, blood examination and nasal polyp histological findings, clinical features of the disease after surgery, efficacy of medications, and computed tomography findings. This review describes the clinical course, diagnosis, and treatment of ECRS as well as its pathophysiology and the role of eosinophils, mucus, cytokines, and other mediators in the pathogenesis of ECRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β) pathway represents an important signalling pathway involved in regulating diverse biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation and inflammation. Despite the critical role for TGF-β in inflammatory responses, its role in regulating NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB)-dependent inflammatory responses still remains unknown. In the present study we show that TGF-β1 synergizes with proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α (tumour necrosis factor-α) to induce NF-κB activation and the resultant inflammatory response in vitro and in vivo. TGF-β1 synergistically enhances TNF-α-induced NF-κB DNA binding activity via induction of RelA acetylation. Moreover, synergistic enhancement of TNF-α-induced RelA acetylation and DNA-binding activity by TGF-β1 is mediated by PKA (protein kinase A). Thus the present study reveals a novel role for TGF-β in inflammatory responses and provides new insight into the regulation of NF-κB by TGF-β signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family members are multifunctional growth factors involved in regulating diverse biological processes. Despite the critical role for TGF-β in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and development, its role in regulating NF-κB-dependent inflammatory response still remains unclear. Here, we show that TGF-β1 induces acetylation of NF-κB p65 subunit to synergistically enhance bacterium nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae-induced NF-κB activation and inflammatory response in vitro and in vivo. The TGF-β1-induced acetylation of p65 is mediated via a Smad3/4-PKA-p300-dependent signaling pathway. Acetylation of p65 at lysine 221 by TGF-β1 is critical for synergistic enhancement of bacteria-induced DNA-binding activity, NF-κB activation, NF-κB-dependent transcription of TNF-α and IL-1β and interstitial polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltration in vitro and in vivo. These studies provide new insights into the novel regulation of NF-κB by TGF-β signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]