The enzyme cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is known to be involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis in certain types of cancer. Nevertheless, the prognostic value of COX-2 overexpression and its polymorphisms in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the three most commonly studied COX-2 gene polymorphisms (−1195 G/A, −765 G/C and 8473 T/C) with COX-2 expression and lung cancer risk in a Brazilian cohort. In the present hospital based, case-control retrospective study, 104 patients with NSCLC and 202 cancer free control subjects were genotyped for −1195 G/A, −765 G/C and 8473 T/C polymorphisms using allelic discrimination with a reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. COX-2 mRNA expression was analyzed in surgically resected tumors from 34 patients with NSCLC. The results revealed that COX-2 expression levels were higher in tumor tissue compared with normal lung tissue. However, this overexpression of COX-2 was not associated with the patient outcome, and furthermore, none of the analyzed polymorphisms were associated with the risk of developing lung cancer, COX-2 overexpression, or the overall survival of the patients with NSCLC. Taken together, the findings described in the present study do not support a major role for COX-2 polymorphisms and COX-2 overexpression in lung carcinogenesis within the Brazilian population.

Punção aspirativa transbrônquica por agulha de linfonodos hilares e mediastinais Transbronchial needle aspiration of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes Recebido para publicação/received for publication: 06.07.04 Aceite para publicação/accepted for publication: 07.03.26

No abstract

Pulmonary blastoma is a rare primary lung tumor with poor prognosis that commonly presents at a younger age than the non-small cell lung cancer. Classically they are large, symptomatic tumors with lymph nodal metastasis and carry poor prognosis. Pathological examination revealed features suggesting a biphasic tumor with mesenchymal and epithelial components. Over 200 cases have been reported so far worldwide since the first description of the tumor in 1945. Authors present a case of pulmonary blastoma with literature revision.

Reportamos o caso de uma tumoração volumosa localizada no mediastino anterior superior em uma criança do sexo feminino, negra, de 2 anos de idade. A paciente estava assintomática e não apresentava doenças associadas. Foi realizada avaliação pré-operatória usando a tomografia computadorizada e a ressonância nuclear magnética do tórax, que sugeriram o diagnóstico de timolipoma. Este tumor foi tratado cirurgicamente por uma toracotomia bilateral com secção transversa do esterno (incisão à Clamshell). O diagnóstico foi confirmado pela histopatologia. O timolipoma é um tumor raro do mediastino anterior que pode apresentar-se como uma grande massa em um paciente assintomático bem como associado com miastenia gravis, esclerose lateral amiotrófica, aplasia medular, hipogamaglobulinemia e liquen plano, entidades estas presentes principalmente nos adultos.