Multidisciplinary approach to suspected sudden unexpected infant death caused by milk-aspiration: A case report
WORLD JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CASES
Authors: Maiese, Aniello; La Russa, Raffaele; Arcangeli, Mauro; Volonnino, Gianpietro; De Matteis, Alessandra; Frati, Paola; Fineschi, Vittorio
Abstract
BACKGROUND The term sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is not always properly invoked. It refers to a broad range of conditions that sometimes defy classification. There is not only a strong emotional impact on the family, but such cases are also quite complex. Underlying causes may be multiple, not always readily apparent, and have potential repercussions, especially in terms of forensics. CASE SUMMARY A 5-month-old male baby was pronounced dead following acute lung failure and cardiopulmonary arrest. The parents had immediately rushed their child to the hospital, stating the baby was found prone and not breathing. Total-body postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) was performed, revealing a hypodense material of indeterminate nature within the main airways and areas of ground-glass parenchymal change. At autopsy, the respiratory tract mucosa appeared edematous and was coated with a whitish stringy material. There was widespread airspace reduction due to parenchymal collapse. Alveolar sacs and bronchial openings contained abundant amorphous material admixed with white blood cells. Immunohistochemical studies were performed, targeting CD15, CD68, and alpha-lactalbumin. Ultimately, the focus was on alpha-lactalbumin (milk protein), which showed marked immunopositivity within alveolar spaces. Cytoplasmic staining of macrophages was also particularly prominent. CONCLUSION Postmortem investigations are thus essential to identify causes of death and surrounding circumstances. PMCT is a useful tool in this setting, given the frequent dearth of autopsy findings and ambiguity as to cause of death in SUID cases. These findings, later confirmed by immunohistochemical investigations, were indicative of active pneumonia due to aspirated milk. The present account illustrates the importance a broad diagnostic approach to SUID in cases of forensic concern. PMCT is a very valuable aid in cases of forensic interest, as it can provide useful information in all those situations in which the cause of death is uncertain or there are no suggestive dynamics or lesions.
Baseline immunity and impact of chemotherapy on immune microenvironment in cervical cancer
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
Authors: Zhang, Yi; Yu, Minhua; Jing, Ying; Cheng, Jiejun; Zhang, Caiyan; Cheng, Lin; Lu, Haijiao; Cai, Mei-Chun; Wu, Jie; Wang, Wenjing; Lou, Weihua; Qiu, Lihua; Tan, Li; Lu, Huaiwu; Yin, Xia; Zhuang, Guanglei; Di, Wen
Abstract
Background We aimed to comprehensively evaluate the immunologic landscape at baseline and upon chemotherapy in cervical cancer. The information should aid ongoing clinical investigations of checkpoint blockade immunotherapies in this disease setting. Methods A series of 109 cervical carcinoma patients was retrospectively assayed before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Tumour-infiltrating immune markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD56, CD68, PD-1, PD-L1) were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RNA sequencing analysis was performed on matched pre- and post-treatment fresh-frozen tissues. Results At diagnosis, diverse immune cell types including CD20+ B cells, CD3+ T cells, CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells, and CD68+ macrophages were detected in different proportions of cervical carcinoma. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering evidently showed that CD4+ and CD8+ T cell abundance correlated with PD-L1 expression. Based on the immune infiltration patterns, the patients could be stratified into four groups with prognostic relevance, namely, 'immuno-active', 'immuno-medial', 'immuno-NK', and 'immuno-deficient'. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with increased CD4, CD8, CD20, and CD56 signals, most prominently in good responders. Transcriptomic data corroborated the improved anticancer immunity and identified immunosuppressive CD200 upregulation following chemotherapeutic intervention. Conclusions A subset of cervical cancer harbours active immune microenvironment, and chemotherapy treatment may further exert locoregional immunostimulation. Immune checkpoint inhibitors as combination or maintenance therapies warrant future exploration in clinic.