Gliomas are the most common brain malignancies characterized by high degree of aggressiveness and high mortality. However, the underlying mechanism of glioma progression remains unclear. Here, we probed the role of CDC42EP3 (CDC42 effector protein 3) played in glioma development and its potential downstream mechanism. The expression of CDC42EP3 in tumor and normal brain tissues were examined through immunohistochemistry and we found the likelihood of CDC42EP3 overexpression was positively correlated with pathological grading. Patients with higher expression of CDC42EP3 were more likely to suffer from recurrence as well. Through constructing CDC42EP3-knockdown cell models, we discovered that silencing CDC42EP3 significantly restricted cell proliferation and migration but facilitated cell apoptosis in vitro. Inhibition on tumor growth mediated by CDC42EP3 depletion was further verified in vivo. Regarding downstream target of CDC42EP3, we found that it may positively regulate the expression of CCND1 through c-Myc-mediated transcription. Furthermore, our findings affirmed that effects of CDC42EP3 overexpression on cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis could be confined by depleting CCND1. In a word, this study reported the tumor-promoting role of CDC42EP3 in glioma progression which probably functioned through targeting CCND1.

BACKGROUND Azygos vein aneurysms are extremely rare, and their pathogenesis is not clear. The overwhelming majority of patients have no obvious clinical symptoms and are found to have the disease by physical examination or by chance. There are few reports on the diagnosis of and treatment strategy for this disease. Moreover, the choice of therapeutic schedule and the treatment window are controversial. CASE SUMMARY We report a case of azygos vein arch aneurysm in a 53-year-old woman. The patient had symptoms of back pain, chest tightness, and choking. Enhanced chest computed tomography showed a soft-tissue mass in the right posterior mediastinum, which was connected to the superior vena cava. The enhancement degree in the venous phase was the same as that of the superior vena cava. The patient received video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. After the operation, her back pain disappeared, and her dysphagia and chest tightness were also significantly relieved. The postoperative pathology confirmed hemangioma. The patient was discharged on the seventh day after surgery without any comp-lications. CONCLUSION Some patients with hemangioma of the azygos vein arch may experience dysphagia and chest tightness caused by the tumor compressing the esophagus and trachea. Enhanced computed tomography scanning is vital for the diagnosis of azygos vein aneurysms. In addition, despite the difficulty and risk of surgery, thoracoscopic surgery for azygos vein aneurysms is completely feasible.

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