Incidence and clinical relevance of non-small cell lung cancer lymph node micro-metastasis detected by staging endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration.

Background: Approximately twenty percent of lymph node (LN) negative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who undergo curative intent surgery have pan-cytokeratin immunohistochemistry (IHC)-detectable occult micro-metastases (MMs) in resected LNs. The presence of the MMs in NSCLC is associated worsened outcomes. As a substantial proportion of NSCLC LN staging is conducted using endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA), we sought to determine the frequency of detection of occult MMs in EBUS-TBNA specimens and to evaluate the impact of MMs on progression-free and overall survival.

Clinical and Molecular Factors Associated With Histologic Response to Topical Steroid Treatment in Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis.

Background & Aims: Few factors have been identified that can be used to predict response of patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) to topical steroid treatment. We aimed to determine whether baseline clinical, endoscopic, histologic, and molecular features of EoE can be used to predict histologic response.

Methods: We collected data from 97 patients with EoE, from 2009 through 2015, treated with a topical steroid for 8 weeks; 59 patients had a histologic response to treatment.

Northern Italy in the American South: Assessing interobserver reliability within the Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology.

Background: The Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (MSRSGC) has been proposed to standardize salivary gland fine-needle aspiration (FNA) diagnoses. This study assessed salivary gland FNA results and risk of malignancy (ROM) rates at the University of North Carolina as well as the interobserver reliability (IOR) of the atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) and salivary gland neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential (SUMP) categories.

Methods: The electronic medical record was searched for FNA cases from 2010 to 2017 with subsequent surgical resections.

Optimal Histologic Cutpoints for Treatment Response in Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Analysis of Data From a Prospective Cohort Study.

Background And Aims: No prospective studies substantiate 15 eos/hpf as an appropriate endpoint for treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). We aimed to determine a histologic cutpoint that identifies successful treatment of EoE by assessing symptomatic and endoscopic improvement.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of 62 consecutive adult patients undergoing outpatient esophagogastroduodenoscopy at the University of North Carolina from 2009 through 2014.

Palladin expression is a conserved characteristic of the desmoplastic tumor microenvironment and contributes to altered gene expression.

The stroma surrounding solid tumors contributes in complex ways to tumor progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the predominant cell type in the tumor stroma. Previous studies have shown that the actin-binding protein palladin is highly expressed in the stroma of pancreas tumors, but the interpretation of these results is complicated by the fact that palladin exists as multiple isoforms.