Real-world data on diagnostics, treatment and outcomes of patients with hairy cell leukemia: The HCL-CLLEAR study.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) and HCL-like disorders have to be distinguished because of their different biology and treatment response. Thus, we conducted a retrospective study on patients with HCL and hairy cell leukemia variant (HCLv) to assess diagnostic algorithms and treatment outcomes in a real-world setting. We analyzed 225 HCL and 26 HCLv patients with median follow-up of 67.

Deregulation of gene expression induced by environmental tobacco smoke exposure in pregnancy.

Introduction: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in pregnant women may have detrimental effects such as spontaneous abortion, lower birth weight, stillbirth, and reduced infant lung function. To extend our knowledge on the molecular effects of tobacco smoke exposure in pregnancy, we analyzed transcriptome alterations in passive smokers (PS) and compared them with those in active smokers (AS).

Methods: Using Illumina Expression Beadchips with 24,526 transcript probes, gene expression patterns were assayed in placentas from PS (N = 25) exposed to ETS throughout pregnancy and nonexposed (NS) counterparts (N = 34) and in cord blood cells from their newborns.

CD133 expression and identification of CD133/nestin positive cells in rhabdomyosarcomas and rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines.

Background: Co-expression of CD133, cell surface glycoprotein, and nestin, an intermediate filament protein, was determined to be a marker of neural stem cells and of cancer stem cells in neurogenic tumors.

Methods: We examined the expression of CD133 and nestin in ten tumor tissue samples taken from patients with rhabdomyosarcomas and in five rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to examine FFPE tumor tissue samples.

Genetic structure of pastoral and farmer populations in the African Sahel.

Traditional pastoralists survive in few places in the world. They can still be encountered in the African Sahel, where annual alternations of dry and wet seasons force them to continual mobility. Little is known about the genetic structure of these populations.

Differential expression of microRNAs in CD34+ cells of 5q- syndrome.

Background: Myelodysplastic syndrome with isolated chromosome 5q deletion (5q- syndrome) is a clonal stem cell disorder characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of hematopoiesis and their aberrant expression was detected in some clonal hematopoietic disorders. We thus analyzed miRNA expressions in bone marrow CD34+ cells of 5q- syndrome patients.

Distinctive microRNA expression profiles in CD34+ bone marrow cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs functioning as regulators of hematopoiesis. Their differential expression patterns have been linked with various pathological processes originating from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, limited information is available regarding the role of miRNAs in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

A distinct expression of various gene subsets in CD34+ cells from patients with early and advanced myelodysplastic syndrome.

Gene expression profiles of CD34+ cells were compared between 51 MDS patients and 7 controls. The most up-regulated genes in patients included HBG2, HBG1, CYBRD1, HSPA1B, ANGPT, and MYC, while 13 genes related to B-lymphopoiesis showed down-regulation. We observed in advanced MDS patients decreased expression of genes involved in cell cycle control, DNA repair and increased expression of proto-oncogenes, angiogenic and anti-apoptic genes.

Linking the sub-Saharan and West Eurasian gene pools: maternal and paternal heritage of the Tuareg nomads from the African Sahel.

The Tuareg presently live in the Sahara and the Sahel. Their ancestors are commonly believed to be the Garamantes of the Libyan Fezzan, ever since it was suggested by authors of antiquity. Biological evidence, based on classical genetic markers, however, indicates kinship with the Beja of Eastern Sudan.

Differential gene expression in umbilical cord blood and maternal peripheral blood.

Objectives: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) has become a useful alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells for clinical and research applications. UCB represents neonatal blood and differs from adult blood in many aspects, displaying different cell composition and various features of cellular immaturity. To understand molecular basis of phenotypic differences between neonatal and adult blood, we studied variations in transcriptome of UCB and maternal peripheral blood (PB).

MicroRNA expression profiles in umbilical cord blood cell lineages.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), important regulators of cellular processes, show specific expression signatures in different blood cell lineages and stages of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) differentiation, indicating their role in the control of hematopoiesis. Because neonatal blood displays various features of immaturity, we might expect differential miRNA regulation. Herein, we determined miRNA expression profiles of umbilical cord blood (UCB) cell lineages and compared them to those of bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) cell counterparts.

Out of Arabia-the settlement of island Soqotra as revealed by mitochondrial and Y chromosome genetic diversity.

The Soqotra archipelago is one of the most isolated landmasses in the world, situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden between the Horn of Africa and southern Arabia. The main island of Soqotra lies not far from the proposed southern migration route of anatomically modern humans out of Africa approximately 60,000 years ago (kya), suggesting the island may harbor traces of that first dispersal. Nothing is known about the timing and origin of the first Soqotri settlers.