Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Iran: 1991 to 2008.

Since 1991, 2042 first hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) have been performed at the Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Acute myelogenous leukemia (548 patients), thalassemia major (335 patients) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (275 patients) have been the most common transplanted disorders. There were 1418 cases that received allogeneic HSCT and 624 cases that have received autologous HSCT.

Frequency of BCR-ABL fusion transcripts in Iranian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Background: A specific chromosomal abnormality, the Philadelphia chromosome, is present in 90 - 95% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. The aberration results from a reciprocal translocation of chromosomes 9 and 22, creating a BCR-ABL fusion gene. There are two major forms of the BCR-ABL fusion gene, involving ABL exon 2, but including different exons of BCR gene.