title: Alveolar epithelial cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition in acute interstitial pneumonia: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute interstitial pneumonia is a rare interstitial lung disease that rapidly progresses to respiratory failure or death. Several studies showed that myofibroblast plays an important role in the evolution of diffuse alveolar damage, which is the typical feature of acute interstitial pneumonia. However, no evidence exists whether alveolar epithelial cells are an additional source of myofibroblasts via epithelial-mesenchymal transition in acute interstitial pneumonia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this report, we present a case of acute interstitial pneumonia in a previously healthy 28-year-old non-smoking woman. Chest high-resolution computed tomography scan showed bilateral and diffusely ground-glass opacification. The biopsy was performed on the fifth day of her hospitalization, and results showed manifestation of acute exudative phase of diffuse alveolar damage characterized by hyaline membrane formation. On the basis of the preliminary diagnosis of acute interstitial pneumonia, high-dose glucocorticoid was used. However, this drug showed poor clinical response and could improve the patient's symptoms only during the early phase. The patient eventually died of respiratory dysfunction. Histological findings in autopsy were consistent with the late form of acute interstitial pneumonia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results in this study revealed that alveolar epithelial cells underwent epithelial-mesenchymal transition and may be an important origin of myofibroblasts in the progression of acute interstitial pneumonia. Conducting research on the transformation of alveolar epithelial cells into myofibroblasts in the lung tissue of patients with acute interstitial pneumonia may be beneficial for the treatment of this disease. However, to our knowledge, no research has been conducted on this topic.
authors.forename: Hongbo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jinjin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Xiaozhi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qingyin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Cuiping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Pan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, P,R, China. songxd71@163.com.
authors.forename: Changjun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D018450:Disease Progression; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D035583:Rare Diseases; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids
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