Coexistence of Myeloid and Lymphoid Neoplasms: A Single-Center Experience.

The coexistence of a myeloid and a lymphoid neoplasm in the same patient is a rare finding. We retrospectively searched the records of the Hematology Division of the Second Department of Internal Medicine and Research Institute at Attikon University General Hospital of Athens from 2003 to 2018. Nine cases have been identified in a total of 244 negative MPN and 25 MDS/MPN patients and 1062 LPD patients referred to our institution between 2003 and 2018.

The outcome of patients with high-risk MDS achieving stable disease after treatment with 5-azacytidine: A retrospective analysis of the Hellenic (Greek) MDS Study Group.

The demethylating factor 5-azacytidine (5-AZA) improves survival in intermediate-2 and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients [according to the International Prognostic Score System (IPSS)] responding to treatment. However, the outcome of patients achieving stable disease (SD) is unclear. This retrospective study of the Hellenic MDS Study Group included 353 intermediate-2 or high IPSS risk patients treated with 5-AZA.

MicroRNA-92a-3p overexpression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is an independent predictor of prolonged overall survival of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

MicroRNA-92a-3p (miR-92a-3p) derives from the oncogenic miR-17/92 cluster and its highly homologous miR-106a/363 cluster. miR-92a-3p regulates the expression of key transcription factors such as HIF1 and inhibits SOCS1 to enhance the anti-apoptotic STAT3/IL6 signaling pathway. In this study, we assessed the putative usefulness of miR-92a-3p as a prognostic and/or diagnostic biomarker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Elevated miR-20b-5p expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells: A novel, independent molecular biomarker of favorable prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

MicroRNA-20b-5p (miR-20b-5p) is part of the miR-106a/363 cluster and a member of the cancer-related miR-17 family. miR-20b-5p regulates important transcription factors, including hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Recently, the dysregulation of miR-20b-5p expression has been observed in many B-cell lymphomas and T-cell leukemias.

The prognostic value of monosomal karyotype (MK) in higher-risk patients with myelodysplastic syndromes treated with 5-Azacitidine: A retrospective analysis of the Hellenic (Greek) Myelodysplastic syndromes Study Group.

In this study, we investigated the incidence and prognostic impact of monosomal karyotype (MK) in 405 higher-risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) patients treated with 5-AZA. The MK was present in 66 out of 405 (16.3%) patients, most of whom had complex karyotype (CK).

ASXL1 mutations in AML are associated with specific clinical and cytogenetic characteristics.

Mutations of ASXL1 are early events in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) leukemogenesis and have been associated with unfavorable prognosis. In this study, we investigated the type and frequency of ASXL1 mutations in a large cohort of patients with de novo or secondary AML (s-AML) and looked for correlations with cytogenetic findings and disease features. ASXL1 mutations were associated with older age, s-AML and higher peripheral leukocytosis.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of regulatory T cells in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Accumulated data indicate a significant role of T cell dysfunction in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In CLL, regulatory T cells are significantly higher and show lower apoptotic levels compared to healthy donors. We demonstrate that CLL derived CD4CD25CD127 and CD4CD25CD127 subpopulations share a common immunophenotypic profile with conventional Tregs and are associated with advanced stage disease.

Apoptosis Induction and Gene Expression Profile Alterations of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Cells following Their Exposure to Bortezomib and Methotrexate.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) and its leukemic variant Sézary syndrome (SS) comprise the majority of CTCL, a heterogenous group of non-Hodgkins lymphomas involving the skin. The CTCL's resistance to chemotherapy and the lack of full understanding of their pathogenesis request further investigation. With the view of a more targeted therapy, we evaluated in vitro the effectiveness of bortezomib and methotrexate, as well as their combination in CTCL cell lines, regarding apoptosis induction.

mRNA overexpression of the hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha subunit gene (HIF1A): An independent predictor of poor overall survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF1) is a heterodimeric transcription factor that ultimately regulates cellular responses to changes in oxygen tension. In this study, we examined the potential diagnostic and prognostic potential of the mRNA expression of HIF1 regulatory α-subunit (HIF1A) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). For this purpose, total RNA was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from 88 CLL patients and 33 non-leukemic blood donors, and poly(A)-RNA was reversely transcribed.

The role of miRNAs and epigenetic mechanisms in primary gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a rare low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma associated with Helicobacter pylori infection and the subsequent chronic inflammation. Significant progress in understanding the pathogenesis of the disease has already been made. However, the exact molecular pathways of lymphomagenesis remain unclear.

The role of miRNAs in endometrial cancer.

miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Since their discovery, miRNAs have been associated with every cell function including malignant transformation and metastasis. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy.

Treatment with 5-Azacytidine improves clinical outcome in high-risk MDS patients in the 'real life' setting: A single center observational study.

Objectives: The demethylating factor 5-Azacytidine (5-AZA) improves survival of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in randomized control trials but the results in 'real life' are controversial.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we evaluated the outcome of 56 high-risk MDS patients who were treated with 5-AZA between 2005 and 2013. 5-AZA was administered in an outpatient basis at a dose 75 mg/m(2) s.

CNS Involvement in AML Patient Treated with 5-Azacytidine.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rare complication of the disease and is associated with poor prognosis. Sometimes the clinical presentation can be unspecific and the diagnosis can be very challenging. Here we report a case of CNS infiltration in a patient suffering from AML who presented with normal complete blood count and altered mental status.

Epigenetics in gastrointestinal stromal tumors: clinical implications and potential therapeutic perspectives.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) represent the most common mesenchymal neoplasms affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Activating mutations in either the KIT or PDGFRa gene are the principal oncogenic triggers with the former accounting for more than 80 % of cases. In the small subset of GIST that are wild type for both the aforementioned changes, other germline or somatic mutations have been identified.

Epigenetic alterations and microRNAs: new players in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes.

The term epigenetics refers to the heritable changes in gene expression that do not represent changes in DNA sequence. DNA methylation and histone modification are the best studied epigenetic mechanisms. However, microRNAs, which affect gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, should be considered as members of the epigenetic machinery too.

Expression analysis of mir-17-5p, mir-20a and let-7a microRNAs and their target proteins in CD34+ bone marrow cells of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Mir-17-5p and mir-20a, members of the mir-17-92 family, down-regulate E2F1, which is over-expressed in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Moreover, let-7a down-regulates KRAS, which is aberrantly expressed in MDS. We evaluated the expression of the aforementioned microRNAs in CD34+ cells of 43 MDS patients using real-time PCR and their target proteins (E2F1, MYC, BCL2, CCND1, and KRAS) by Western blot.

The role of microRNAs in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that act at the post-transcriptional level, regulating protein expression by repressing translation or destabilizing mRNA target. Because of their discovery, microRNAs have been associated with almost every normal cell function, including proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Several lines of evidence suggest that they have an important role in normal hematopoiesis as exemplified by the role of mir-155 and mir-150 in the differentiation of B and T lymphocytes, the suppressive role of mir-221 and mir-222 in erythroid differentiation, the inhibitory effect of mir-181 on hematopoietic differentiation and the induction of myeloid differentiation by mir-223.