Altered expression of recently described claudins (CLDNs) as members of tight junction (TJ) transmembrane proteins was noted in several malignancies. We aimed to analyze protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of different CLDNs in human pancreatic endocrine tumors (PET) and ductal adenocarcinomas. A total of 45 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples were studied. Immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis were carried out for quantification of CLDN 1, -2, -3, -4, and -7 expressions. Normal acini and ducts showed strong CLDNs 1, -3, -4, and -7 and scattered CLDN 2 protein expressions, while Langerhans islands revealed only CLDN 3 and -7 expressions. CLDN 2 expression was found in the half of ductal adenocarcinomas, while the vast majority of endocrine tumors were negative. CLDN 1, -4, and -7 immunohistochemistry was positive in all adenocarcinomas, whereas endocrine tumors were completely negative for CLDNs 1 and -4. CLDN 3 and -7 proteins were detected in all endocrine tumors, while CLDN 3 in ductal adenocarcinomas was negative. The mRNA expression of CLDNs showed differences between endocrine tumors and ductal adenocarcinomas, similar as found for protein expression. Our findings support that PET and ductal carcinomas are specifically characterized by different expression pattern of CLDNs. High expressions of CLDN 3 in endocrine tumors and CLDN 4 in ductal carcinomas might attract them as targets for adjuvant therapy.

Acute gastric dilatation is very uncommon and is of various etiologies, two of these being anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Several cases documenting complications of gastric dilatation were published; however, such severe complications, involving gastric infarction and compression of the aorta with ischemic injury of the bowels and lower extremities, are rare.

Sarcomas of the great vessels are rare. Altogether 400 such cases have been described in the aorta, the pulmonary artery, and inferior vena cava. The clinical symptoms are generally related to embolic phenomena, aneurysm formation, and widespread metastases, especially to bones. With improved diagnostic modalities more cases are diagnosed and treated surgically. Resection of the tumor may prolong the patient s life. In this paper authors present two cases of such rare sarcomas. In our first case a tumor has developed in the thoracic aorta with symptoms of imminent aortic dissection. The tumorous nature of the lesion was revealed only histologically, since neither the operation, nor macroscopic picture gave any clue to its tumorous nature. The second case was a male patient with a huge retroperitoneal tumor arising from the inferior vena cava, which was clinically suspected to be a carcinomaarising in the adrenal gland.

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