Performance Evaluation of the QXDx BCR-ABL %IS Droplet Digital PCR Assay.

Accurate detection of fusion transcripts at and below molecular response (MR) 4 (0.01% International Scale [IS]) is required for disease monitoring in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We evaluated the analytical performance of the QXDx BCR-ABL %IS (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay, which is the first commercially available ddPCR-based diagnostics product.

Comparison of quasispecies diversity of HCV between chronic hepatitis c and hepatocellular carcinoma by Ultradeep pyrosequencing.

Backgrounds: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) exists as population of closely related genetic variants known as quasispecies. HCV quasispecies diversity is strongly influenced by host immune pressure on virus. Quasispecies diversity is expected to decline as host immune response to HCV decreases over natural course of progressing from chronic hepatitis C (CHC) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Immunohistochemical analysis of CD123, CD56 and CD4 for the diagnosis of minimal bone marrow involvement by blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm.

Aims: Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare and aggressive haematological malignancy derived from plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors. Almost all patients show cutaneous manifestations, and >60% show bone marrow (BM) involvement at initial presentation. In cases where there is BM involvement by only a small number of tumour cells, such involvement is difficult to ascertain solely on morphological examination.

Flow cytometric quantification and immunophenotyping of leukemic stem cells in acute myeloid leukemia.

Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) are root of clonal growth in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and responsible for the propagation of leukemic blasts (LBs). LSCs are considered as CD34 + CD38- population among LBs and often express as CD123, CD44, or CD184, which are rarely expressed on normal hematopoietic stem cells and could be the potential therapeutic targets. Using multi-color flow cytometry, we analyzed the proportions of CD34 + CD38- LSCs and expression of CD123, CD44, and CD184 on LSCs in 63 patients with AML.

Flow cytometric detection of neutrophil-associated immunoglobulin in patients with or without neutropenia and establishment of the reference interval.

We measured neutrophil-associated immunoglobulin (NAIg) levels using flow cytometry to establish the reference interval for NAIg and to estimate NAIg in patients with or without neutropenia. Peripheral blood from 152 individuals was analyzed for NAIg detection by flow cytometry. Using fluorescescent-conjugated anti-CD10 monoclonal antibody and anti-human immunoglobulins, proportions of NAIgG, NAIgA, and NAIgM bound to neutrophils were measured.

[Microbiological and epidemiological characteristics of vancomycin-dependent enterococci].

Background: Vancomycin-dependent enterococci (VDE) are clinically equivalent to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), but more difficult to detect. This study was purposed to characterize VDE microbiologically and epidemiologically.

Methods: The patients from whom VDE were detected from April 2007 to March 2008 were investigated.