We examined 56 malignant mesotheliomas, 117 lung adenocarcinomas, and 34 metastatic lung adenocarcinomas with antibodies to transcription factors involved in epitheliomesenchymal transition. The tumors were stained immunohistochemically with antibodies zeb1, twist, and snail. Malignant mesotheliomas exhibited a stronger expression of zeb1 and twist than lung adenocarcinomas (p < 0.001 for both). Metastatic adenocarcinomas displayed a more frequent expression of zeb1 and twist (p < 0.001 for both) than lung adenocarcinomas. Patients with snail positive mesotheliomas experienced a better survival (p = 0.046), whereas in lung adenocarcinomas, this trait predicted worse survival (p = 0.024). Biphasic mesotheliomas had a more frequent expression of snail or zeb1 than epithelioid and sarcomatoid mesotheliomas as a group (p = 0.034 and p = 0.005, respectively). E-cadherin was more commonly present in epithelioid mesotheliomas (p = 0.002). Cases with snail positivity showed a significantly lower apoptotic index (p = 0.039). Malignant mesotheliomas display strong twist and zeb1 expression, which may be an indication of transdifferentiation between the epithelioid and sarcomatoid cell types with biphasic mesotheliomas representing tumors in active transition. Metastatic adenocarcinomas show a higher expression of zeb1 and twist than primary lung tumors, confirming our previous findings and highlighting their significance in the metastatic process. Snail expression is associated with poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinomas, but an opposite effect was seen in mesothelioma, a fact which may be related to the different cellular origin of epithelial and mesothelial cells.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of mortality; however, the role of inflammatory mediators in its pathobiology remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of gender in COPD on lipid mediator levels.Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum were obtained from healthy never-smokers, smokers and COPD patients (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage I-II/A-B) (n=114). 94 lipid mediators derived from the cytochrome-P450, lipoxygenase, and cyclooxygenase pathways were analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.Multivariate modelling identified a 9-lipid panel in BALF that classified female smokers with COPD from healthy female smokers (p=6×10(-6)). No differences were observed for the corresponding male population (p=1.0). These findings were replicated in an independent cohort with 92% accuracy (p=0.005). The strongest drivers were the cytochrome P450-derived epoxide products of linoleic acid (leukotoxins) and their corresponding soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH)-derived products (leukotoxin-diols). These species correlated with lung function (r=0.87; p=0.0009) and mRNA levels of enzymes putatively involved in their biosynthesis (r=0.96; p=0.003). Leukotoxin levels correlated with goblet cell abundance (r=0.72; p=0.028).These findings suggest a mechanism by which goblet cell-associated cytochrome-P450 and sEH activity produce elevated leukotoxin-diol levels, which play a putative role in the clinical manifestations of COPD in a female-dominated disease sub-phenotype.

BackgroundClaudins are the main components of tight junctions, structures which are associated with cell polarity and permeability. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of claudins 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 in developing human lung tissues from 12 to 40 weeks of gestation.Methods47 cases were analyzed by immunohistochemisty for claudins 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7. 23 cases were also investigated by quantitative RT-PCR for claudin-1, -3 and -4.ResultsClaudin-1 was expressed in epithelium of bronchi and large bronchioles from week 12 onwards but it was not detected in epithelium of developing alveoli. Claudin-3, -4 and -7 were strongly expressed in bronchial epithelium from week 12 to week 40, and they were also expressed in alveoli from week 16 to week 40. Claudin-5 was expressed strongly during all periods in endothelial cells. It was expressed also in epithelium of bronchi from week 12 to week 40, and in alveoli during the canalicular period. RT-PCR analyses revealed detectable amounts of RNAs for claudins 1, 3 and 4 in all cases studied.ConclusionClaudin-1, -3, -4, -5, and -7 are expressed in developing human lung from week 12 to week 40 with distinct locations and in divergent quantities. The expression of claudin-1 was restricted to the bronchial epithelium, whereas claudin-3, -4 and -7 were positive also in alveolar epithelium as well as in the bronchial epithelium. All claudins studied are linked to the development of airways, whereas claudin-3, -4, -5 and -7, but not claudin-1, are involved in the development of acinus and the differentiation of alveolar epithelial cells.

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BackgroundSnail is a transcriptional factor which is known to influence the epitheliomesenchymal transition (EMT) by regulating adhesion proteins such as E-cadherin and claudins as well as matrix metalloproteases (MMP).MethodsTo evaluate the functional importance of snail, a transciptional factor involved in EMT in lung tumors, we investigated its expression in a large set of lung carcinomas by immunohistochemistry. Expression of snail and effects of snail knockdown was studied in cell lines.ResultsNuclear snail expression was seen in 21% of cases this being strongest in small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC). There was significantly greater snail expression in SCLC compared to squamous cell or adenocarcinoma. Positive snail expression was associated with poor survival in the whole material and separately in squamous cell and adenocarcinomas. In Cox regression analysis, snail expression showed an independent prognostic value in all of these groups. In several cell lines knockdown of snail reduced invasion in both matrigel assay and in the myoma tissue model for invasion. The influence of snail knockdown on claudin expression was cell type specific. Snail knockdown in these cell lines modified the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 but did not influence the activation of these MMPs to any significant degree.ConclusionsThe results show that snail plays an important role in the invasive characteristics of lung carcinoma influencing the survival of the patients. Snail knockdown might thus be one option for targeted molecular therapy in lung cancer. Snail knockdown influenced the expression of claudins individually in a cell-line dependent manner but did not influence MMP expressions or activations to any significant degree.

T lymphocytes are believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). How T cells are recruited to the lungs and contribute to the inflammatory process is largely unknown. COPD is a heterogeneous disease, and discriminating disease phenotypes based on distinct molecular and cellular pathways may provide new approaches for individualized diagnosis and therapies. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and blood samples were obtained from 40 never-smokers, 40 smokers with normal lung function, and 38 COPD patients. T-cell chemokine receptor expression was analyzed with flow cytometry, and soluble BAL cytokines and chemokines were measured using a cytokine multiplex assay. Correlations with gender and clinical characteristics including lung imaging were investigated using multivariate modeling. Th1/Tc1- and Th2/Tc2-associated soluble analytes and T-cell chemokine receptors were analyzed as cumulative Th1/Tc1 and Th2/Tc2 immune responses. A higher expression of chemokine receptor CCR5 on CD8+ T cells in BAL and higher percentage of CXCR3+CD8+ T cells in blood was found in female smokers with COPD compared to those without COPD. CCR5 expression on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was lower in BAL from male smokers with COPD compared to those without COPD. Among female smokers with COPD, Th1/Tc1 immune response was linked to BAL macrophage numbers and goblet cell density, and Th2/Tc2 response was associated with the measures of emphysema on high-resolution computed tomography. The highly gender-dependent T-cell profile in COPD indicates different links between cellular events and clinical manifestations in females compared to males. Our findings may reveal mechanisms of importance for the difference in clinical course in female COPD patients compared to males.

This study indicates the presence of GST alpha and pi especially in the epithelium and sputum supernatants in mild/moderate COPD and low expression of GST alpha in the epithelium in cases of very severe COPD. The presence of GSTs in the airway secretions points to their potential protective role both as intracellular and extracellular mediators in human lung.