MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways are activated in adolescent and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK signaling cascade and the phosphoinosytol-3 phosphate/Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathways are involved in proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. The frequency of PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathway activation in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) still need to be elucidated.

Aims: To assess the activity and prognostic implications of MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways in adult (ALL).

[Karyotype in acute myeloid leukemia: importance and type of aberrations in 30 patients at diagnosis].

Introduction: Cytogenetics in AML at diagnosis is a well defined prognostic tool.

Objective: The authors analized karyotype (KT) and clinical data of newly diagnosed AML patients.

Methods: Thirty patients were studied, 16 male and 14 female.

Comparison of cytogenetics with FISH in 40 myelodysplastic syndrome patients.

Karyotyping is important for diagnosis and prognosis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) either mitotic or interphase cells can be analyzed and a higher number of cells can be screened. This study evaluated the effectiveness of FISH in detecting the most common chromosomal abnormalities [-5/del 5q/-7/+8/del 11q23 and -Y] in 40 patients with MDS.