Hematological manifestations of copper deficiency: a retrospective review.

Copper deficiency is an established cause of hematological abnormalities but is frequently misdiagnosed. Copper deficiency can present as a combination of hematological and neurological abnormalities and it may masquerade as a myelodysplastic syndrome. We reviewed the records of patients with hypocupremia and hematologic abnormalities identified between 1970 and 2005.

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia: correlation of clinical stages with angiogenic cytokine expression.

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is characterized by the accumulation of non-cycling B cells in lymphatic and extralymphatic tissues. Earlier studies had validated that angiogenesis was increased in B-CLL. Increased serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) connote a poor prognosis in early-stage B-CLL.

Autocrine expression of platelet-derived growth factor B in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) regulates clonal proliferation of malignant pre-B cell lines, but little is known about its role in normal B lymphocyte differentiation and malignant transformation. To understand the expression of PDGF-A, PDGF-B and the beta-receptor (PDGF-Rbeta) in B cell lymphoproliferative disorders, we used an immunohistochemical method to stain formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues in 5 patients with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia, 15 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 23 with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Abundant PDGF-A, rather than PDGF-B, was expressed in normal B cell differentiation.

"Myelodysplasia," myeloneuropathy, and copper deficiency.

We describe a patient with a suspected myelodysplastic syndrome that developed in association with a neurologic disorder resembling subacute combined degeneration but without vitamin B12 deficiency. Ultimately, the hematologic manifestations and the neurologic syndrome were linked to severe copper deficiency. Prompt and complete reversal of the hematologic abnormalities occurred with copper replacement.