Digital PCR-based methylation testing in acute myeloid leukemia: diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a challenging disease with high rates of recurrence. The role of the cancer-related gene in AML has not been widely studied. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 73 AML patients and 68 healthy controls.

CircRNA CircEHBP1 Regulates the Maturation of MiR-129 to Increase the Chemoresistance of Cancer Cells to Adriamycin in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.

Background: MicroRNA-129 (miR-129) is known to promote chemosensitivity of many types of cancer cells. However, the role of miR-129 in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is unclear. We predicted that premature miR-129 might interact with circEHBP1, a well-characterized oncogene in bladder cancer, and analyzed the interaction between circEHBP1 and miR-129 in AML.

Direct infusion electrospray ionization-ion mobility-mass spectrometry for rapid metabolite marker discovery of medicinal Phellodendron Bark.

Ion-mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) currently serves as a powerful tool for the structural identification of numerous biological compounds and small molecules. In this work, rapid metabolomic analysis of closely-related herbal medicines by direct injection ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DI-IM-QTOF MS) was established. Phellodendron chinense Bark (PC) and Phellodendron amurense Bark (PA) were studied as a case.

Abnormal GRHL2 Methylation Confers Malignant Progression to Acute Leukemia.

Purpose: Abnormal methylation of Grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2) is associated with a substantial role in the malignant phenotype of tumor patients. Our present research is aimed at studying the abnormal expression of GRHL2 and the association of methylation in patients with acute leukemia and its relationship with prognosis.

Materials And Methods: We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for detecting the aberrant expression level of GRHL2 in 60 patients with acute leukemia and 60 normal controls.

Dynamic trajectory of platelet counts after the first cycle of induction chemotherapy in AML patients.

Background: Platelet counts varied over time after induction chemotherapy. We aimed to investigate the different trajectories of platelet counts after the first cycle of induction chemotherapy in patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

Methods And Results: In total, 149 individuals were included in this study.

MiR-140 Targets lncRNA DNAJC3-AS1 to Suppress Cell Proliferation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Objectives: MiR-140 and DNAJC3-AS1 have been demonstrated to play critical roles in cancer biology, while their participation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is unclear. This study aimed to explore the role of miR-140 and DNAJC3-AS1 in AML.

Methods: The expression of DNAJC3-AS1 and miR-140 were detected by RT-qPCR.

CircRNA circ_POLA2 is Upregulated in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Promotes Cell Proliferation by Suppressing the Production of Mature miR-34a.

Purpose: CircRNA circ_POLA2 has been reported as an oncogene in lung cancer, while its role in other malignancies is unknown. This study aimed to explore the role of circ_POLA2 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods: The expression levels of circ_POLA2, mature miR-34a and miR-34a precursor in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) from AML patients (n = 50) and healthy controls (n = 50) were determined by RT-qPCR.

Arsenic trioxide increases expression of secreted frizzled-related protein 1 gene and inhibits the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway in Jurkat cells.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the demethylation effect of arsenic trioxide (AsO) on the secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) gene and its ability to inhibit the Wingless-type MMTV integration site family (WNT) pathway in Jurkat cells. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was used to examine the CpG island methylation status of the SFRP1 gene in leukemia cell lines. In addition, the effects on Jurkat cells of treatment with different concentrations of AsO for 48 h were investigated.

Gene essentiality prediction based on fractal features and machine learning.

Essential genes are required for the viability of an organism. Accurate and rapid identification of new essential genes is of substantial theoretical interest to synthetic biology and has practical applications in biomedicine. Fractals provide facilitated access to genetic structure analysis on a different scale.

A multicenter randomized open-label study of rituximab plus rhTPO vs rituximab in corticosteroid-resistant or relapsed ITP.

This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of rituximab (RTX) plus recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) with RTX alone in patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who had failed to respond to corticosteroids or relapsed. Recruited patients were randomized at a ratio of 2:1 into 2 groups: the combination group (RTX + rhTPO, n = 77) and the monotherapy group (RTX, n = 38). Overall response was achieved in 79.

Essential thrombocytosis accompanied by coagulation factor XII deficiency: a case report.

Essential thrombocytosis (ET) is a type of myeloproliferative neoplasm with clinical manifestations of thrombosis and hemorrhage, the mechanisms of which remains unclear. Some researches indicated that ET is mainly related to the defect of platelet function and the abnormality of coagulation mechanism. A few reports showed that ET accompanied by acquired hemophilia.

Arsenic trioxide inhibits DNA methyltransferase and restores TMS1 gene expression in K562 cells.

Background: Gene silencing associated with aberrant methylation of promoter region CpG islands is an acquired epigenetic alteration that serves as an alternative to genetic defects in the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes in human cancers. The demethylating, dose-dependent effect of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on several tumor-related genes has already been postulated. However, whether such a demethylating effect also applies to the TMS1 gene in chronic myeloid leukemia cell line K562 cells has not been studied so far.

[Effects of arsenic trioxide on the methylation of TMS1 gene in K562 cells].

Objective: To detect the methylation status of TMS1 gene and its demethylation by arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) in K562 cells.

Methods: K562 cells were treated with different concentrations of As₂O₃ for 48 hours. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was used to determine the methylation status of TMS1.

[Study of WIF-1 promoter methylation with expressions of β-catenin in acute leukemia].

Objective: To explore the significance of WIF-1 gene promoter methylation and the expression of β-catenin in acute leukemia (AL) patients.

Methods: The method of methylation specific polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect the status of WIF-1 gene methylation in 55 acute leukemia patients and normal controls from January 2009 to June 2010 in our hospital. The expression of β-catenin was measured by flow cytometry.

[A preliminary study on the implication of Apaf-1 promoter methylation and the expression of apoptosis inhibitor protein Apollon in adult acute leukemia].

Objective: To investigate the role of Apaf-1 gene promoter methylation and apoptosis inhibitor protein Apollon in pathogenesis of acute leukemia (AL) and their clinical significance.

Methods: Methylation specific PCR (MSP) was used to detect the methylation status of Apaf-1 gene promoter in 53 AL patients (28 AML, 10 ALL and 15 relapsed) and 10 healthy or nonmalignant blood diseases patients as control. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression levels of Apaf-1 mRNA and immunocytochemistry to detect the expression levels of Apollon protein.