Intensity of bone involvement: a quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT evaluation for monitoring outcome of multiple myeloma.

Purpose: The parameter intensity of bone involvement (IBI) was recently proposed to quantitatively assess patients with multiple myeloma using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET combined with computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) images. Here, we aimed to calculate IBI variation (ΔIBI) between two consecutive PET/CT of the same patient and verified its relationship with a subjective visual analysis of the images and with clinical outcome.

Methods: Consecutive whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT performed to assess the outcomes of 29 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma were retrospectively evaluated.

A Novel Assay for the Identification of NOTCH1 PEST Domain Mutations in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

To develop a fast and robust DNA-based assay to detect insertions and deletions mutations in exon 34 that encodes the PEST domain of in order to evaluate patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We designed a multiplexed allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with a fragment analysis assay to detect specifically the mutation c.7544_7545delCT and possibly other insertions and deletions in exon 34 of .

First proposed panels on acute leukemia for four-color immunophenotyping by flow cytometry from the Brazilian group of flow cytometry-GBCFLUX.

Multiparameter flow cytometry is a highly sensitive, fast, and specific diagnostic technology with a wide range of applicability in hematology. Although well-established eight-color immunophenotyping panels are already available, most Brazilian clinical laboratories are equipped with four-color flow cytometer facilities. Based on this fact, the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry (Grupo Brasileiro de Citometria de Fluxo, GBCFLUX) for standardization of clinical flow cytometry has proposed an antibody panel designed to allow precise diagnosis and characterization of acute leukemia (AL) within resource-restricted areas.

"First proposed panels on acute leukemia for four-color immunophenotyping by flow cytometry from the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry - GBCFLUX".

Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) is a highly sensitive, fast and specific diagnostic technology with a wide range of applicability in hematology. Although well-established eight-color immunophenotyping panels are already available, most Brazilian clinical laboratories are equipped with four-color flow cytometer facilities. Based on this fact, the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry (Grupo Brasileiro de Citometria de Fluxo, GBCFLUX) for standardization of clinical flow cytometry has proposed an antibody panel designed to allow precise diagnosis and characterization of acute leukemia (AL) within resource-restricted areas.

Computerized texture analysis of atypical immature myeloid precursors in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes: an entity between blasts and promyelocytes.

Background: Bone marrow (BM) blast count is an essential parameter for classification and prognosis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, a high degree of cell atypias in bone marrow hemopoietic cells may be found in this group of clonal disorders, making it difficult to quantify precisely myeloblasts, and to distinguish them from promyelocytes and atypical immature myeloid precursors. Our aim was to investigate whether computerized image analysis of routine cytology would help to characterize these cells.

Brazilian experience using high dose sequential chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for malignant lymphomas.

Objective: To evaluate the use of high-dose sequential chemotherapy in a Brazilian population.

Methods: High-dose cyclophosphamide followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an effective and feasible therapy for refractory/relapsed lymphomas; this regimen has never before been evaluated in a Brazilian population. All patients (106 with high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 77 with Hodgkin's lymphoma) submitted to this treatment between 1998 and 2006 were analyzed.

Increased expression of APAF-1 in low-risk myelodysplastic syndrome: a possible role in the pathophysiology of myelodysplasia.

Objectives: APAF-1 is a central component of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, where APAF-1 dysregulation results in the development of diverse human neoplasms. The aim of this study was to characterize the mRNA expression levels of APAF-1 transcripts in low-risk and high-risk MDS and to elucidate whether the expression levels of APAF-1 transcripts are modulated with increased apoptosis in CD34(+) MDS cells undergoing erythroid differentiation.

Methods: APAF-1 (NM_181861) expression was verified, by quantitative RT-PCR, in bone marrow aspirates from 33 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), at the time of diagnosis, and in erythroid differentiation cultures from CD34(+) from normal donors and patients with MDS.

Incidence and risk factors for agranulocytosis in Latin American countries--the Latin Study: a multicenter study.

Purpose: LATIN is a multinational case-control study designed to identify risk factors for agranulocytosis and to estimate the incidence rate of the disease in some Latin American countries.

Methods: Each study site in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico conducted an active search of agranulocytosis patients in hematology clinics and looked for possible associations with drug use.

Results: The overall incidence rate was 0.

Incidence of aplastic anemia and agranulocytosis in Latin America--the LATIN study.

Context And Objective: Aplastic anemia and agranulocytosis are rare but life-threatening disorders, often caused by drugs and other environmental exposures. Reported incidence of these diseases seems to vary between different geographic regions, and few data on their incidence are available for Latin American countries. The aim of this work is to determine the incidence of agranulocytosis and aplastic anemia in Brazil.