Canthin-6-one induces cell death, cell cycle arrest and differentiation in human myeloid leukemia cells.

Background: Canthin-6-one is a natural product isolated from various plant genera and from fungi with potential antitumor activity. In the present study, we evaluate the antitumor effects of canthin-6-one in human myeloid leukemia lineages.

Methods: Kasumi-1 lineage was used as a model for acute myeloid leukemia.

Increase of IRF-1 gene expression and impairment of T regulatory cells suppression activity on patients with myelodysplastic syndrome: A longitudinal one-year study.

Studies have demonstrated that abnormalities in interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) expression might develop myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). IRF-1 was described as modulator of T regulatory (Treg) cells by suppressing Foxp3 on mice. We aimed to determine the role of Treg and IRF-1 in MDS.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with advanced indolent lymphoproliferative disorders.

Background: The role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for advanced indolent lymphoproliferative disorders remains to be established.

Objective: This paper aims to describe the results of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with advanced indolent lymphoproliferative disorders.

Methods: This article reports on 29 adult patients submitted to allogeneic transplantations from 1997 to 2010.

Optimisation of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based strategy for the detection and quantification of human herpesvirus 6 DNA in patients undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) may cause severe complications after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Monitoring this virus and providing precise, rapid and early diagnosis of related clinical diseases, constitute essential measures to improve outcomes. A prospective survey on the incidence and clinical features of HHV-6 infections after HSCT has not yet been conducted in Brazilian patients and the impact of this infection on HSCT outcome remains unclear.

Pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade: clinical manifestation of chronic graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

The authors report a case with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade as a rare clinical manifestation of chronic graft-versus-host disease in a young man with acute myelogenous leukemia submitted to an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a related donor.

Diagnosis by real-time polymerase chain reaction of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes in bone marrow transplant patients with bloodstream infections.

Background: Early identification of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in bloodstream infections (BSIs) decreases morbidity and mortality, particularly in immunocompromised patients. The aim of the present study was to compare real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with commercial kits for detection of 17 pathogens from blood culture (BC) and 10 antimicrobial resistance genes.

Methods: A total of 160 BCs were taken from bone marrow transplant patients and screened with Gram-specific probes by multiplex real-time PCR and 17 genus-specific sequences using TaqMan probes and blaSHV, blaTEM, blaCTX, blaKPC, blaIMP, blaSPM, blaVIM, vanA, vanB, and mecA genes by SYBR Green.

Evaluation of 16 SNPs allele-specific to quantify post hSCT chimerism by SYBR green-based qRT-PCR.

The importance of monitoring post haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (hSCT) chimerism has been defined in numerous publications. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are molecular markers that vary significantly among different populations. Allied to a very sensible technique, SNP assays seem to be very sensitive (0.

Increased expression of CD4+CD25 +FOXP3+ regulatory T cells correlates with Epstein-Barr virus and has no impact on survival in patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma in Brazil.

The tumor microenvironment of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is clearly responsible for the maintenance of the malignant Hodgkin-Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been shown to play a role in this immune evasion. EBV can increase the migration of CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) lymphocytes, named regulatory T cells (Tregs). In this study, we assessed the distribution and biological significance of Tregs in patients with cHL.

Autologous stem cell transplantation improves quality of life in economically challenged, Brazilian multiple myeloma patients.

Objectives: 1) To characterize the impact of multiple myeloma on the quality of life of patients treated in two public institutions in São Paulo State, Brazil, using a generic Short Form 36 Health Survey and a questionnaire specific for oncologic patients (QLQ-C30) upon diagnosis, after the clinical treatment, and at day +100 after autologous stem cell transplantation; 2) to evaluate whether autologous stem cell transplantation can improve the quality of life of our economically challenged population aside from providing a clinical benefit and disease control.

Methods: We evaluated 49 patients with multiple myeloma (a total of 70 interviews) using the two questionnaires. The scores upon diagnosis, post-treatment/pre-autologous stem cell transplantation, and at D+100 were compared using ANOVA (a comparison of the three groups), post hoc tests (two-by-two comparisons of the three groups), and paired t-tests (the same case at two different times).

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 is consistently expressed in Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg cells and has no impact on survival in patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related and non-related Hodgkin lymphoma in Brazil.

Clinical and histological features of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) are primarily due to the effects of cytokines and enzymes produced by Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells and their surrounding inflammatory cells. In EBV-related cancers, the expression of viral latent membrane protein 1 correlates with an increased MMP9 expression. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic relevance of MMP9 expression and EBV status in HRS cells in patients with cHL in Brazil.

Requirement for PLCγ2 in IL-3 and GM-CSF-stimulated MEK/ERK phosphorylation in murine and human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.

Even though the involvement of intracellular Ca(2+) Ca(i)(2+) in hematopoiesis has been previously demonstrated, the relationship between Ca(i)(2+) signaling and cytokine-induced intracellular pathways remains poorly understood. Herein, the molecular mechanisms integrating Ca(2+) signaling with the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway in primary murine and human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells stimulated by IL-3 and GM-CSF were studied. Our results demonstrated that IL-3 and GM-CSF stimulation induced increased inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3) ) levels and Ca(i)(2+) release in murine and human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.

Prevalence of chimerism after non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Context And Objective: Non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (NMA-HSCT) is performed in onco-hematological patients who cannot tolerate ablative conditioning because of older age or comorbidities. This approach does not completely eliminate host cells and initially results in mixed chimerism. Long-term persistence of mixed chimerism results in graft rejection and relapse.

Impact of Epstein-Barr virus in the clinical evolution of patients with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma in Brazil.

Introduction: Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma (cHL) has been frequently associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which can be found in a latent pattern in Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells. However, the impact of the presence of EBV in RS cells and its prognosis are still controversial. We analysed the presence of EBV in RS cells and its influence in the clinical evolution of patients with cHL treated in two public hospitals in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

CD34-positive cells and their subpopulations characterized by flow cytometry analyses on the bone marrow of healthy allogenic donors.

Context And Objective: Counting and separating hematopoietic stem cells from different sources has importance for research and clinical assays. Our aims here were to characterize and quantify hematopoietic cell populations in marrow donors and to evaluate CD34 expression and relate this to engraftment.

Design And Setting: Cross-sectional study on hematopoietic stem cell assays, using flow cytometry on donor bone marrow samples, for allogenic transplantation patients at two hospitals in São Paulo.

Plasma levels of FL and SDF-1 and expression of FLT-3 and CXCR4 on CD34+ cells assessed pre and post hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in patients with hematologic malignancies and in healthy donors.

Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) became the main source of cells for autologous transplantation. Alterations in the expression of adhesion molecules are essential in the CD34+ cells mobilization process. These molecules are involved in the interaction between hematopoietic and stromal cells and they have been disclosed as a considerable factor to the trafficking and homing of the CD34+ progenitor cells.

Does mobilization for autologous stem cell transplantation damage stromal layer formation?

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has proved efficient to treat hematological malignancies. However, some patients fail to mobilize HSCs. It is known that the microenvironment may undergo damage after allogeneic HSCT.

Atypical presentation of oral basaloid squamous cell carcinoma.

Aim: The purpose of this report is to present the clinical and histological features of a basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) occurring in the retromolar trigone of a 59-year-old man and to relate its immunohistochemical characteristics.

Background: BSCC is an aggressive distinct variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) requiring recognition as a separate entity from SCC due to its peculiar behavior.

Case Report: A clinical examination revealed a 12x07x07 mm nodular mass with a rubbery consistency, defined borders, covered by reddish mucosa and an absence of bleeding upon palpation.

Impairment of human CYP1A2-mediated xenobiotic metabolism by Antley-Bixler syndrome variants of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase.

Y459H and V492E mutations of cytochrome P450 reductase (CYPOR) cause Antley-Bixler syndrome due to diminished binding of the FAD cofactor. To address whether these mutations impaired the interaction with drug-metabolizing CYPs, a bacterial model of human liver expression of CYP1A2 and CYPOR was implemented. Four models were generated: POR(null), POR(wt), POR(YH), and POR(VE), for which equivalent CYP1A2 and CYPOR levels were confirmed, except for POR(null), not containing any CYPOR.

Prognostic impact of cancer/testis antigen expression in advanced stage multiple myeloma patients.

This study aims to analyze the expression of 14 cancer/testis (CT) antigens in multiple myeloma (MM) to identify possible prognostic markers and therapeutic targets. The expression of MAGEA1, MAGEA2, MAGEA3/6, MAGEA4, MAGEA10, MAGEA12, BAGE1, MAGEC1/CT7, the GAGE family, LAGE-1, PRAME, NY-ESO-1, SPA17 and SSX1 was studied by RT-PCR in 15 normal tissues, a pool of 10 normal bone marrow samples, 3 normal tonsils and bone marrow aspirates from 6 normal donors, 3 monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS), 5 solitary plasmacytomas, 39 MM samples (95% advanced stage) and the MM cell line U266. MAGEC1/CT7 was expressed in bone marrow aspirates from one MGUS and one plasmacytoma.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53 and MDM2 expression in Hodgkins disease.

Context And Objective: Tumor cells in Hodgkins disease (HD) express cell proliferation markers that are evaluated according to the oncogenes involved or the expression of their proteins. Correlations between the protein expression grade and clinical data are now important for disease prognosis.

Design And Setting: This was a retrospective analysis on proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53 and MDM2 (murine double minute-2) expression using immunohistochemistry, on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from diagnostic biopsies on 51 patients with HD.

The stimulatory role of human cytochrome b5 in the bioactivation activities of human CYP1A2, 2A6 and 2E1: a new cell expression system to study cytochrome P450-mediated biotransformation (a corrigendum report on Duarte et al. (2005) Mutagenesis 20, 93-100).

This corrigendum report describes the study of the comparison of human cytochrome b(5) (b(5)) with rat b(5) when coupled with human cytochrome P450 CYP1A2, 2A6 or 2E1. Results indicate a role of the N-terminal part of b(5) in the coupling with CYP. Indeed, the plasmid pLCM-b(5)-RED used in our former study on b(5) [Duarte et al.

N-RAS and K-RAS gene mutations in Brazilian patients with multiple myeloma.

Point mutations affecting codons 12, 13 (exon 1) and 61 (exon 2) of the N-RAS gene and codons 12 and 13 (exon 1) of the K-RAS gene are identified in approximately 30.0% and 10.0%, respectively, of multiple myeloma (MM) patients living in the northern hemisphere.

[A profile of the medical conduct preceding child death at a tertiary hospital].

Objective: To study the profile of care provided to pediatric patients suffering fatal outcomes at a university hospital, including: description of models, comparisons between units, associated factors, participants involved and records of decisions made.

Methods: Cross-sectional study. One of the investigators reviewed the medical and nursing records of deceased patients.

Escherichia coli BTC, a human cytochrome P450 competent tester strain with a high sensitivity towards alkylating agents: involvement of alkyltransferases in the repair of DNA damage induced by aromatic amines.

We report here on strain BTC, a new Escherichia coli mutagenicity tester strain for the expression of human cytochrome P450 (CYP) with an enhanced sensitivity for the detection of alkylating agents. This strain was developed first through knocking out of the genes ada and ogt in our previously developed strain BMX100, resulting in PD1000. Strain PD1000 demonstrated a significantly higher detection sensitivity towards several alkylating agents such as N-nitrosodiethylamine (NNdEA), N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine (NNdPA), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG).