Immunophenotypic clustering of myelodysplastic syndromes.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are heterogeneous diseases of bone marrow (BM) cell precursors for which immunophenotypic characterization is still considered irrelevant despite the accuracy and sensitivity of flow cytometry techniques. The aim of this study was to determine whether immunophenotypic abnormalities could be defined in MDSs and could correlate with the French-American-British classification and cytogenetics. Analysis was performed on 275 BM samples (207 MDS patients, 68 controls) and 25 control blood samples.

Resistance to fludarabine-induced apoptosis in Epstein-Barr virus infected B cells.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transforms B cells in part by inhibiting the cellular apoptotic programme. This is also observed when Burkitt lymphoma cell lines are infected with EBV. Induction of apoptosis is one of the mechanisms by which fludarabine inhibits the growth of cells with low proliferative capacity.