Three hematologic malignancies in the same patient: chronic lymphocytic leukemia, followed by chronic myeloid leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia.

The co-existence of both chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have been described in a few cases, either simultaneously or subsequently presenting. We report an unusual case of three he-matological malignancies in the same patient: CLL, CML, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). None of the three malignancies shared the same origin, since the marrow sample was negative for BCR-ABL1 transcript at the time of CLL diagnosis, CLL was in remission at CML diagnosis, and CML was in complete cytogenetic response at AML onset, indicating that this was not a blast crisis.

Bone marrow mitogen-stimulated direct antiglobulin test in a case of erythroblastic synartesis.

In this article we report a case of erythroblastic synartesis, a rare disease characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis, clusters of erythroblasts due to membrane invaginations, in which an autoimmune pathogenesis is hypothesized. We investigated the presence of anti-erythroblast autoimmunity in bone marrow cultures using a mitogen-stimulated direct antiglobulin test, a method reported to be able to disclose a latent autoimmunity in various diseases. The test revealed the presence of erythroblast-bound IgG, supporting the hypothesis of the autoimmune pathogenesis of erythroblastic synartesis.

Changes in erythropoiesis, iron metabolism and oxidative stress after half-marathon.

Objective: In marathon runners changes in red blood cell count, haematocrit and haemoglobin in relation to haemodilution have been reported. Moreover, it has been hypothesized that strenuous exercise induces oxidant stress through several different mechanisms. This study investigated the haematological variables, iron status and oxidative indices before, immediately and 48 h after a race in 8 healthy trained males aged 33-44 years running a 21-km marathon in 79 +/- 3 min.

Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase in Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

We studied leukocyte alkaline phosphatase in malaria to assess leukocyte defence mechanisms. Twenty-seven patients with malaria were stratified into two classes on the basis of disease severity. Fifteen malaria negative patients were taken as controls.

Acute megakaryocytic leukemia in essential thrombocythemia: an unusual evolution?

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder that can rarely undergo leukemic transformation either in treated (3-7%) or untreated patients (1%). Evolution to myeloblastic or myelomonoblastic acute leukemia is commonly described in the literature, whereas lymphatic and megakaryocytic forms are considered unusual. Here, we report three cases of acute megakaryocytic leukemia (LMA-M7) among 11 acute leukemic transformations observed in our series of 321 ET patients.