Diagnostic usefulness of bone marrow aspiration material for the amplification of IS6110 insertion element in extrapulmonary tuberculosis: comparison of two PCR techniques.

Setting: In many cases of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB), with the exception of paucibacillary analysed specimens, the suspected site of mycobacterial infection is relatively inaccessible or unknown, making laboratory confirmation of TB laborious and problematic.

Objective: Two different polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods were compared to investigate the validity of bone marrow aspiration material as an easily accessible alternative sample for molecular analysis in EPTB.

Design: We amplified the same sequence of IS6110 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in 19 confirmed cases of EPTB using two different nested PCR techniques: one in-house 'classic' PCR and another based on LightCycler technology.

Autoimmune manifestations in human myelodysplasia: a positive correlation with interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) expression.

Background: Patients with myelodysplasia may have autoimmune manifestations (AIM). Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is a transcription factor involved in interferon signalling, leukaemogenesis, and the development of the immune system.

Objectives: To determine whether IRF-1 is implicated in the pathophysiology of AIM in myelodysplasia.

Non-isotopic RNase cleavage assay for mutation detection in MEFV, the gene responsible for familial Mediterranean fever, in a cohort of Greek patients.

Background: The MEFV gene is responsible for familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Several disease associated mutations have been identified. The range of genetic variation in MEFV in Greek patients has not been determined.

The usefulness of PCR amplification of the IS6110 insertion element of M. tuberculosis complex in ascitic fluid of patients with peritoneal tuberculosis.

Background: The diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis (TP) may be difficult and elusive. The present study was designed to demonstrate the diagnostic usefulness of a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, specific for the IS6110 insertion element of M. tuberculosis complex, in patients with ascites who were suspected of having TP in order to achieve a more timely diagnosis and treatment.

Low expression of interferon regulatory factor-1 and identification of novel exons skipping in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a malignant clonal disorder of the haematopoietic stem cell. Treatment of CML patients with interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) has induced haematological and cytogenetic remission. Interferons transcriptionally activate target genes through the JAK-STAT and interferon regulated factors (IRFs) family pathways.