A retrospective study of azacitidine treatment in patients with intermediate-2 or high risk myelodysplastic syndromes in a real-world clinical setting in Greece.

For patients with intermediate-2 or high risk [according to the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS)] myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), azacitidine treatment offers hematologic improvement (HI) but also has the potential to modify the natural disease course. 'RETRO-AZA-MDS-001', a retrospective chart review study was conducted from February to November 2012 across 17 hematology hospital sites of Greece, aiming to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety profile of azacitidine in IPSS intermediate-2/high risk adult MDS patients in routine care. A total of 88 patients (median age 74.

Bortezomib reduces serum dickkopf-1 and receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand concentrations and normalises indices of bone remodelling in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma.

The effect of bortezomib on bone remodelling was evaluated in 34 relapsed myeloma patients. At baseline, patients had increased serum concentrations of dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (sRANKL), sRANKL/osteoprotegerin ratio, C-telopeptide of type-I collagen (CTX) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoform-5b (TRACP-5b); bone-alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin were reduced. Serum DKK-1 correlated with CTX and severe bone disease.

Widespread occurrence of the JAK2 V617F mutation in chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

The analysis of rare chromosomal translocations in myeloproliferative disorders has highlighted the importance of aberrant tyrosine kinase signaling in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Here we have investigated samples from 679 patients and controls for the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase JAK2 V617F mutation. Of the 480 myeloproliferative disorder (MPD) samples, the proportion of positive cases per disease subtype was 30 (20%) of 152 for atypical or unclassified MPD, 2 of 134 (2%) for idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, 58 of 72 (81%) for polycythemia vera, 24 of 59 (41%) essential thrombocythemia (ET), and 15 of 35 (43%) for idiopathic myelofibrosis.