OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of cytokeratin pan (CKP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and microvessel density (MVD) to spiral CT manifestations of thymoma.

METHODSEighty-four thymoma patients were underwent spiral CT examination, and 40 of the patients also had enhanced CT examination. All the CT findings were carefully reviewed to analyze their correlation to the expressions of CKP, VEGF and MVD.

RESULTSThe enhancement on spiral CT images increased with the levels of VEGF expression and MVD counting (P<0.01). Significant correlations were observed between VEGF expression, MVD counting and such spiral CT findings as lobular contours, cusp-like or sawtooth-like margins and tumor invasions of the pleural membrane, pericardium and great vessels (P<0.05). CKP expression showed no obvious correlation to these findings by spiral CT.

CONCLUSIONSpiral CT can reflect the pathological characteristics of thymoma, and may serve as a noninvasive modality for preoperative evaluation of thymoma.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Keratins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Microvessels ; Middle Aged ; Thymoma ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Thymus Neoplasms ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Young Adult

In this study, we showed the direct interaction between Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis fibronectin attachment protein (FAP) and toll-like receptor4 (TLR4) via co-localization and binding by using confocal microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation assays. FAP triggered the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in a TLR4-dependent manner. In addition, FAP-induced cytokine expression in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) was modulated in part by glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). FAP-induced expression of CD80, CD86, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, and MHC class II in TLR4+/+ BMDCs was not observed in TLR4-/- BMDCs. Furthermore, FAP induced DC-mediated CD8+ T cell proliferation and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity, and suppressed tumor growth with DC-based tumor vaccination in EG7 thymoma murine model. Taken together, these results indicate that the TLR4 agonist, FAP, a potential immunoadjuvant for DC-based cancer vaccination, improves the DC-based immune response via the TLR4 signaling pathway.
*Adhesins, Bacterial/genetics/metabolism ; Animals ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism ; *Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use ; Cell Proliferation ; Cytokines/metabolism ; Dendritic Cells/*cytology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3/metabolism ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mycobacterium avium/genetics/metabolism ; Paratuberculosis/metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/metabolism ; *Thymoma/genetics/metabolism ; *Toll-Like Receptor 4/agonists/genetics/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of TNFα induced protein 3 interacting protein 1 (TNIP1) in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG) among patients with thymoma.

METHODSFrom December 2014 to March 2015, 11 patients with MG associated thymoma (MGT) and 11 non-MG thymoma (NMGT) patients receiving thymectomy were selected. Thymus specimens were obtained during surgery, and peripheral venous blood samples were obtained before the surgery. For the MGT cohorts, peripheral venous blood samples were also collected at 3-6 months after the surgery. TNIP1 mRNA was determined with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), and its protein expression was evaluated by Western blotting.

RESULTSFor both thymus specimen and peripheral blood samples, the levels of TNIP1 mRNA and protein in the MGT group were both significantly lower than those of the NMGT patients (P<0.05). For the MGT group, the levels of TNIP1 mRNA and protein of the peripheral blood samples have increased following thymus resection compared with before the surgery.

CONCLUSIONReduced TNIP1 expression may have a role in the pathogenesis of MG for patients with thymoma. Thymectomy may help to recover the expression of TNIP1 among such patients.

Blotting, Western ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Myasthenia Gravis ; complications ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Thymectomy ; Thymoma ; complications ; surgery ; Thymus Neoplasms ; complications ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between activation of pro-MMP-2 and expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, MT1-MMP and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-2 mRNA in thymoma and thymic carcinoma; and to study the molecular mechanism of invasion and metastasis of thymic epithelial tumors.

METHODSFresh tissue specimens of thymoma, thymic carcinoma and normal thymus were included. The mRNA expression of MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The pro-MMP-2 activation ratio and its localization were determined by gelatin zymography and film in-situ gelatin-Zymography, respectively. Correlation of mRNA expression of MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 was investigated in tumors with different histological subtypes and clinical stages.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in the expressions of MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 mRNA between I and II stage or III and IV stage thymomas (P > 0.05). However, significant differences of the expressions were observed between three tumor groups: I-II stage, III-IV stage and thymic carcinomas (P < 0.005), and between three histological subtypes: AB-B1 (lymphocyte-rich and mixed types), B2-B3 (cortical and predominantly polygonal cells types) and thymic carcinomas (P < 0.05). Expression levels of MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 mRNA were correlated with pro-MMP-2 activation ratio (Spearman rank correlation: r = 0.7235, r = 0.7647, P < 0.005). The expression of MMP-9 did not show significant differences between thymomas and thymic carcinomas.

CONCLUSIONSMMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 mRNA expression levels are correlated with the histologic subtypes and clinical stages of thymoma. The mRNA expressions of MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 are correlated with the activation ratio of pro-MMP-2. It is speculated that upregulation of MT1-MMP gene expression may induce an activation of pro-MMP-2 through TIMP-2.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Enzyme Activation ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Matrix Metalloproteinases, Membrane-Associated ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Thymoma ; classification ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Thymus Gland ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Thymus Neoplasms ; classification ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics