β-catenin/Tcf Signaling in Squamous Differentiation of Porcine Airway Epithelial Cells

For a preliminary study of the role of β-catenin/Tcf signaling in squamous differentiation of airway （tracheobronchial） epithelial cells, a stable mutant of β-catenin was transfected into primarily cultured porcine airway epithelial cells. Western blotting revealed that exogenous protein was observed in large quantity in cytoplasm and nucleus, When co-transfected with Tcf luciferase reporter plasmids, β-catenin mutant increased the reporter＇s transcriptional activities. However, mRNA expression of a squamous differentiation marker, small proline-rich protein （SPRP）, was not elevated, as shown by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. These findings suggest that β-catenin/Tcf signaling may not be directly involved in the squamous differentiation of porcine airway epithelial cells.

Adenoid Basal Carcinoma of the Cervix with Squamous Differentiation:A Case Report and Literature Review

Adenoid basal carcinoma(ABC)of the cervix is a rare and low-incidence low-grade cervical cancer.In our practice,we encountered a case of cervical ABC with squamous differentiation and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(HSIL)with gland involvement in the peripheral cervix.Reviewing relevant literature and analyzing its clinical manifestations,pathological morphology,and immunohistochemical characteristics would help deepen the understanding of this malignant tumor,so as to make a comprehensive diagnosis with differential diagnosis and prevent misdiagnosis.

C4.4A as a biomarker in pulmonary adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

The high prevalence and mortality of lung cancer, together with a poor 5-year survival of only approximately 15%, emphasize the need for prognostic and predictive factors to improve patient treatment. C4.4A, a member of the Ly6/uP AR family of membrane proteins, qualifies as such a potential informative biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer. Under normal physiological conditions, it is primarily expressed in suprabasal layers of stratified squamous epithelia. Consequently, it is absent from healthy bronchial and alveolar tissue, but nevertheless appears at early stages in the progression to invasivecarcinomas of the lung, i.e., in bronchial hyperplasia/metaplasia and atypical adenomatous hyperplasia. In the stages leading to pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma, expression is sustained in dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinomas, and this pertains to the normal presence of C4.4A in squamous epithelium. In pulmonary adenocarcinomas, a fraction of cases is positive for C4.4A, which is surprising, given the origin of these carcinomas from mucin-producing and not squamous epithelium. Interestingly, this correlates with a highly compromised patient survival and a predominant solid tumor growth pattern. Circumstantial evidence suggests an inverse relationship between C4.4A and the tumor suppressor LKB1. This might provide a link to the prognostic impact of C4.4A in patients with adenocarcinomas of the lung and could potentially be exploited for predicting the efficacy of treatment targeting components of the LKB1 pathway.

Bladder preservation in complicated invasive urothelial carcinoma following treatment with cisplatin/gemcitabine plus tislelizumab:A case report

BACKGROUND Invasive urothelial carcinoma(UC)with squamous and glandular differentiation is a highly malignant and complicated pathological subtype,and the standard care is radical cystectomy(RC).However,urinary diversion after RC significantly reduces patient quality of life,thus bladder-sparing therapy has become a research hotspot in this field.Recently,five immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for systemic therapy of locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer by the Food and Drug Administration,but the efficacy of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy for invasive UC is still unknown,especially for pathological subtypes with squamous and glandular differentiation.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 60-year-old male who complained of repetitive painless gross hematuria and was diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer with squamous and glandular differentiation,defined as cT3N1M0 according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer,who had a strong desire to preserve the bladder.Immunohistochemical staining revealed that programmed cell deathligand 1(PD-L1)expression in the tumor was positive.Thus,a transurethral resection to maximize removal of the bladder tumor was performed under cystoscopy,and the patient subsequently received a combination of chemotherapy(cisplatin/gemcitabine)and immunotherapy(tislelizumab)treatment.No tumor recurrence in the bladder was observed following pathological and imaging examination after 2 cycles and 4 cycles of treatment,respectively.The patient achieved bladder preservation and has been tumor-free for more than two years.CONCLUSION This case shows that the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy might be an effective and safe treatment strategy for PD-L1 expression positive UC with divergent histologic differentiation.