Effective use of small-interfering RNA to characterize residual B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells following chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Children diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) respond well to therapy resulting in relatively good prognosis. The exceptions are those who continue to have minimal residual disease (MRD). MRD NHL cells have been characterized as having increased mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy numbers with increased expression of citrate synthase and isocitrate dehydrogenase.

Cognitive performance related to HIV-1-infected monocytes.

The effect that HIV type 1 (HIV) has on neurocognition is a dynamic process whereby peripheral events are likely involved in setting the stage for clinical findings. In spite of antiretroviral therapy (ART), patients continue to be at risk for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), which might be related to persistence of inflammation. In a yearly assessment of HIV DNA levels in activated monocytes, increased HIV DNA copies were found in patients with persistent HAND.

Mitochondrial DNA in residual leukemia cells in cerebrospinal fluid in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Unlabelled: This feasibility study was designed to assess the ability to measure mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cells that contributed to minimal disease/persistent or residual disease (MD/PRD) from children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Increase in mtDNA copies in cancer cells has been suggested to play a role in MD/PRD. CSF as well as blood specimens from 6 children were assayed for MD/PRD and mtDNA copy numbers by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Characteristics of Activated Monocyte Phenotype Support R5-Tropic Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

BACKGROUND: Microbial translocation has been recognized as an important factor in monocyte activation and contributing to AIDS pathogenesis with elevated plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels, as a marker for microbial translocation, seen in advanced HIV disease. Therefore, the current study was undertaken to assess monocyte activation in vitro by LPS and to determine its impact on monocyte phenotype. METHODS: Monocytes from non-HIV-infected donors were analyzed for CD14, CD16, CD69, TNFα, and CCR5 by flow cytometry pre- and post-stimulation with LPS.

Possible Mitochondria-Associated Enzymatic Role in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Residual Disease.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms responsible for resistant or recurrent disease in childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are not yet fully understood. A unique mechanism suggesting the role of the mitochondria as the key energy source responsible for residual cells has been assessed in the clinical setting on specimens from patients on therapy were found to have increased copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) associated with positive minimal residual disease and/or persistent disease (MRD/PD) status. The potential role of mtDNA in MRD/PD emphasizes queries into the contributions of relevant enzymatic pathways responsible for MRD/PD.

Screening for residual disease in pediatric burkitt lymphoma using consensus primer pools.

Assessing molecular persistent or minimal residual disease (PD/MRD) in childhood Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is challenging because access to original tumor is usually needed to design patient-specific primers (PSPs). Because BL is characterized by rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgV(H)) genes, IgV(H) primer pools from IgV(H1)-IgV(H7) regions were tested to detect PD/MRD, thus eliminating the need for original tumor. The focus of the current study was to assess the feasibility of using IgV(H) primer pools to detect disease in clinical specimens.

Chemotoxicity recovery of mitochondria in non-Hodgkin lymphoma resulting in minimal residual disease.

Background: The mechanisms responsible for resistant disease or recurrence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in children cover a wide spectrum from drug resistance to genetic mutations. A unique mechanism suggesting the role of mitochondria as the key energy source is studied following a clinical observation where pediatric Burkitt lymphoma (BL) specimens from patients on therapy were found to have increased copies of mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) in specimens which were shown to be positive for minimal residual disease and/or persistent disease (MRD/PD). This study hypothesized that the mitochondria play an important role in a cell's recovery from toxicity via a compensatory increase in mtDNA.

Feasibility assessment of cerebrospinal fluid from HIV-1-infected children for HIV proviral DNA and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 alleles.

The objective of the study was to assess the feasibility of measuring human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) proviral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and associated single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) in pediatric cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The importance of HIV DNA and MCP1 SNP has been suggested to be independently important in progression to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and neurocognitive impairment in adults. In children, measuring both factors in the CSF may help us understand the neuropathogenic process leading to HIV-1-associated encephalopathy (HAE).