Association between cigarette smoking, genetic polymorphism and myelodysplasia: a multicentric case-control study.

Background: Both cigarette smoking (CGS), through its role as a benzene source, and some metabolic detoxyfiying enzymes (EDTOX) polymorphisms that hamper its inactivation, are considered as risk factors for the development of myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) and related disorders. This study aims to confirm such associations.

Patients And Methods: We recruited 61 patients diagnosed with MDS following FAB Group criteria and 180 adults without peripheral blood cytopenia, and we analyzed: i) the crude odds-ratio (OR) for MDS between smokers and non-smokers, ii) the crude OR for MDS between homozygous individuals for the mutation NQO1C-T, or harboring deletions in the genes codyfing for GSTM1 y GSTT1, and those who did not show such genotypes, and iii) the OR for MDS between smokers and non-smokers, adjusted for other potential risk factors.

Survival Outcomes and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Receiving Frontline Therapy in Daily Practice.

Acute myeloid leukemia has a poor prognosis in older adults, and its management is often unclear due to its underrepresentation in clinical trials. Both overall survival (OS) and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) are key outcomes in this population, and patient-reported outcomes may contribute to patient stratification and treatment assignment. This prospective study included 138 consecutive patients treated in daily practice with the currently available non-targeted therapies (intensive chemotherapy [IC], attenuated chemotherapy [AC], hypomethylating agents [HMA], or palliative care [PC]).

What does apoptosis have to do with clinical features in myelodysplastic syndrome?

Background And Objectives: Apoptosis is thought to play a key pathogenic role in myelodysplastic syndrome. The aim of our study was to determine whether apoptotic index, p53 and bcl-2 levels correlate with the clinical consequences of ineffective hematopoiesis; namely, the development of cytopenia and the shortened survival of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

Design And Methods: The apoptotic index, determined by TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling, as well as bcl-2 and p53 protein levels, evaluated by immunohistochemistry, were studied in bone marrow trephine biopsy archival samples from 25 healthy subjects aged over fifty (control group), 61 consecutive patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and 17 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia according to FAB criteria.