CXCL12-induced VLA-4 activation is impaired in trisomy 12 chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells: a role for CCL21.

Homing to distinct lymphoid organs enables chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells to receive pro-survival and proliferative signals. Cytogenetic aberrations can significantly affect CLL cell compartmentalization. Trisomy 12 (tri12) defines a CLL subgroup with specific clinical features and increased levels of the negative prognostic marker CD49d, the α4-subunit of the integrin VLA-4, which is a key regulator of CLL cell homing to bone marrow (BM).

Nuclear medicine and breast cancer: a review of current strategies and novel therapies.

While breast cancer is still increasing in frequency, new diagnostic procedures are now available to challenge existing procedures and to make diagnosis of breast cancer more accurate and reliable. Mammography remains the standard investigation to reveal disease in an asymptomatic population: it can also be used to diagnose breast cancer in symptomatic patients (e.g.

Postpartum bleeding and von Willebrand's disease.

We calculated the decreases in hemoglobin levels between the day of delivery and postpartum day 3 in all 3565 deliveries of the year 1997. Fourteen patients had a drop in hemoglobin level of more than 8% and were included in the study. Ten women without excessive bleeding served as a control group.

Color Doppler sonography of the lateral thoracic (breast-feeding) arteries: a new approach to the diagnosis of breast disease?

Objective: The main arteries to the breast are the lateral thoracic artery and to a lesser extent the internal thoracic artery. In this prospective open diagnostic study involving 94 women, we compared the intraindividual differences of Doppler indices in the lateral thoracic (breast-feeding) artery of breasts affected by cancer with those unaffected by disease.

Methods: Sixty-seven consecutive patients were recruited from an outpatient unit for breast surgery and 27 volunteers were studied who were known to be without any breast disease (controls).