Development of a patient-reported outcomes symptom measure for patients with nontransfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT-PRO ).

β-Thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder caused by reduced or absent synthesis of the β-globin chain of hemoglobin, is characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis, and can manifest as nontransfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT) or transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT). Many patients with NTDT develop a wide range of serious complications that affect survival and quality of life (QoL). Patient-reported outcomes (PRO), including health-related QoL (HRQoL), are important tools for determining patient health impairment and selecting appropriate treatment.

Validation of a patient-reported outcomes symptom measure for patients with nontransfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT-PRO ).

This study demonstrates the quantitative characteristics of the first patient-reported outcome (PRO) tool developed for patients with nontransfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (NTDT), the NTDT-PRO . A multicenter validation study was performed over 24 weeks, involving 48 patients from Italy, Lebanon, Greece, and Thailand. Most patients were female (68.

Effects of pesticide compounds (chlorothalonil and mancozeb) and benzo[a]pyrene mixture on aryl hydrocarbon receptor, p53 and ubiquitin gene expression levels in haemocytes of soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria).

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the pesticides/polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixture on aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), p53 and ubiquitin mRNA level in haemocytes of Mya arenaria exposed to a mixture of chlorothalonil, mancozeb and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) for 48 and 72 h. AhR, p53 and ubiquitin gene expression levels were quantified using quantitative Real-time PCR. For robust and accurate quantification of transcripts, suitable housekeeping genes were selected from four sets of ribosomal and elongation factors transcripts previously sequenced from Mya arenaria using geNorm open source software.