Metabolism-related cytokine and hormone levels in the serum of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Background: A number of cytokines secreted from the bone marrow stromal cells and circulating hormones related to bone, adipose tissue and glucose metabolism might be involved in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Methods: Serum levels of cytokines related to the metabolism of bone tissue [osteocalcin and parathyroid hormone (PTH)], adipose tissue (adiponectin, leptin and ghrelin) and glucose [insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)] were determined in 72 patients suffering from MDS, mostly of the low-risk group according to FAB classification, and 41 healthy individuals (controls).

Results: Adiponectin and osteocalcin serum levels were significantly elevated in the MDS patients.

Pesticide exposure and lymphohaematopoietic cancers: a case-control study in an agricultural region (Larissa, Thessaly, Greece).

Background: The causality of lymphohaematopoietic cancers (LHC) is multifactorial and studies investigating the association between chemical exposure and LHC have produced variable results. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between exposure to pesticides and LHC in an agricultural region of Greece.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was employed in a hospital-based case control study to gather information on demographics, occupation, exposure to pesticides, agricultural practices, family and medical history and smoking.

Association of interleukin-1A, interleukin-1B and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene polymorphisms with multiple myeloma.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a cytokine involved in the maturation and proliferation of B cells and plays a significant role in the development of lytic bone lesions, a major clinical feature of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Genes that regulate products involved in the immune system are highly polymorphic and contribute to inter-individual differences that can influence the genetic predisposition and progression of particular diseases and cancers. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the single nucleotide polymorphisms IL1A -889, IL1B -511, IL1B +3954, IL1RN Mspa1 +11100 and susceptibility to MM in 74 patients and 160 controls.