Low 25(OH) vitamin D3 levels are associated with adverse outcome in newly diagnosed, intensively treated adult acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: Several studies have suggested that low 25(OH) vitamin D3 levels may be prognostic in some malignancies, but no studies have evaluated their impact on treatment outcome in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods: Vitamin D levels were evaluated in 97 consecutive, newly diagnosed, intensively treated patients with AML. MicroRNA expression profiles and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 25(OH) vitamin D3 pathway genes were evaluated and correlated with 25(OH) vitamin D3 levels and treatment outcome.

Activation of tongue-expressed GPR40 and GPR120 by non caloric agonists is not sufficient to drive preference in mice.

There is mounting evidence that, in addition to texture and olfaction, taste plays a role in the detection of long chain fatty acids. Triglycerides, the main components of oils and dietary fat, are hydrolyzed in the mouth by a lingual lipase secreted from the von Ebner gland and the released free fatty acids are detected by the taste system. GPR40 and GPR120, two fatty acid responsive G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are expressed in taste bud cells, and knockout mice lacking either of those receptors have blunted taste nerve responses to and reduced preference for fatty acids.

Myelodysplastic syndromes and autoimmune diseases--case series and review of literature.

Our objective was to recognize the association of autoimmune diseases (AD) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and understand how this association could affect prognosis and management of both diseases. We describe our cohort of 10 patients and 34 patients reported in the English literature in addition to ten cohort studies. Interestingly, four cases showed improvement in AD after 5-azacitidine treatment.

Is obesity a prognostic factor for acute myeloid leukemia outcome?

Obesity adversely affects outcome in pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We asked if obesity, measured by body mass index (BMI), affected outcome in 329 adult AML patients treated with high-dose cytarabine and idarubicin-containing regimens administered according to actual body weight. Age ≥ 60, unfavorable karyotype, secondary AML, and positive smoking status had adverse impact on overall survival in a multivariate analysis, while BMI did not.

Smoking adversely affects survival in acute myeloid leukemia patients.

Smoking adversely affects hematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcome. We asked whether smoking affected outcome of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients treated with chemotherapy. Data were collected on 280 AML patients treated with high-dose cytarabine and idarubicin-containing regimens at Roswell Park Cancer Institute who had smoking status data at diagnosis.