A retrospective study of leukemia epidemiology in Northern Tunisia.

A hospital-based epidemiological study of leukemia was carried out in the northern part of Tunisia during a 5-year period, from 1999 to 2003. Of 402 Tunisians diagnosed with leukemia, 344 (85.6%) had acute leukemia and 58 (14.

Identification of new markers discriminating between myeloid and lymphoid acute leukemia.

Background: The heterogeneity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with respect to biology and clinical course resides in the fact that patients belonging to the same group show marked differences in their response to chemotherapy, necessitating a refinement of AML classification.

Methods: In order to define molecular markers for AML, we performed microarray analysis on peripheral blood cells from two M5 AML patients, and selected four differentially expressed genes to validate their expression by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR).

Results: We have shown that two downregulated genes in AML, those encoding guanine nucleotide-binding protein gamma11 (GNG11) and amphiregulin (AREG), are also downregulated in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients.

[Hemoglobin O Arab: about 20 cases].

Background: Hemoglobin O Arab is a rare abnormal hemoglobin.

Aim: We report the Clinical and biological features of this disease

Methods: 20 patients.:16 were compound hétérozygous Hb O Arab/Béta thalassemia and 4 homozygous Hemoglobin O Arab.

[Hemoglobin C disease: report of 16 Tunisian cases].

Aim: was to provide the clinical and biological patterns hemoglobine disease in Tunisia.

Methods: This retrospective study collected to 16 cases of hemoglobin C disease : 6 homozygotic Hb C and 10 heterozygotic Hb C/beta-thalassemia.

Results: The clinical profile is characterized by mild hemolytic anemia (Hb = 11.

[Cytology and immunophenotype feautures of 80 acute myeloid leukemia].

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)'s diagnosis is clinical and biological. We report here 80 AML with cytology and immunophenotype features to establish correlations. 21 AML1, 23 AML2, 12 AML3, 2 AML4, 18 AML5 and 3 AML6 were diagnosed by cytology.

Megaloblastic anemia in North Africa.

We prospectively studied 478 patients with megaloblastic anemia living in Tunisia. Overall, 98% of patients had vitamin B12 deficiency. Pernicious anemia accounted for most of these cases, and median age at presentation was 45 years.

[Alpha interferon in children with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid-leukaemia].

The present work focuses on the therapeutic efficacy and the toxicity of alpha interferon in patients younger than age 18 years. 5 patients younger than 18 years were treated and followed up between 1990 and 1999 at the department of haematology (Aziza Othmana Hospital) Hydroxyurea was given as initial treatment to all patients. After a median period of 8 months, these patients received alpha interferon (5 millions units/m2 once).

[Management of severe thrombopenia in pregnancies and labor. Report of 14 cases and review of the literature].

Thrombocytopenia occured in 14 of 5557 pregnant women (0.25%) in our hospital over 4-year interval. The patients with thrombocytopenia could be devided into two groups: healthy women: 2 patients (14.

[Prognostic impact of karyotype in de novo acute myeloid leukemia: study of 139 cases].

A group of 139 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia were investigated to determine the prognostic significance of karyotype on early death, complete remission, continuous complete remission and survival. There were 27 children and 112 adults. Mean age was 32 years.

[Epidemiologic, clinical and cytohematologic characteristics of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Tunisia].

Through a national retrospective study, the authors report the clinical and hematological characteristics of 124 acute lymphoblastic leukemia of the adult diagnosed during 5 years (1993-1997). The national prevalence is of 0.28/100.