International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research
Volume:10 Issue: 3, Jul 2016

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an immunophenotypically heterogeneous malignant disease, in which CD34 positivity is associated with poor prognosis. Osteopontin (OPN) plays different roles in physiologic and pathologic conditions like: survival, metastasis and cell protection from cytotoxic and apoptotic stimuli. Due to anti-apoptotic effect of OPN in normal and malignant cells, silencing of OPN lead to elevation of sensitivity towards chemotherapeutic agents and attenuates cancer cells migration and invasion. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate OPN roles in modulating curcumin-mediated growth inhibitory on Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) colony forming potential and survival in AML cell lines and primary CD34ﰠ bone-marrow-derived AML cells.
Primary human CD34ﰠ cells were isolated from bone marrow mononuclear cells of 10 AML patients at initial state of diagnosis, using a CD34 Multi sort kit. The growth inhibitory effects of curcumin (CUR) were evaluated by MTT and colony-formation assays. Apoptosis was analyzed by 7AAD assay in CD34 KG-1, U937 cell lines and primary isolated cells. Short interfering RNA (siRNA) against OPN was used for OPN silencing in both cell lines and primary AML cells. Then, transfected cells were incubated with/without curcumin. The change in OPN gene expression was examined by Real time PCR.
CUR inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in both KG-1 and U937 cells and also primary isolated AML cells.OPN silencing by siRNA increased the susceptibility of KG-1, U937 and primary CD34ﰠ AML cells to apoptosis. Moreover, soft agar colony assays revealed that silencing of OPN with siRNA significantly decreased colony numbers in LSCs compared with the non-targeting group. Furthermore, CD34ﰠ populations as a main LSCs compartment through OPN overexpression towards CUR treatment might be nullified the inhibitory effects of OPN siRNA on their survival and colony forming potential.
Taken together, our results suggested that knockdown of OPN using OPN specific siRNA significantly decreased colony numbers in LSCs and this effect might be vetoed by LSCs via induction of OPN overexpressionin combination of CUR and siRNA.

The present study was aimed to examine the possible association between methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in a sample of Iranian population.
Subjects and A total of 220 subjects including 100 children diagnosed with ALL and 120 healthy children participated in the case-control study. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of MTHFR were determined by ARMS-PCR or PCR-RFLP method.
Our investigation revealed that rs13306561 both TC and TC CC genotypes decreased the risk of ALL compared to TT genotype (OR=0.32, 95%CI=0.15-0.68, p=0.002 and OR=0.35, 95%CI=0.17-0.70, p=0.003, respectively). In addition, the rs13306561 C allele decreased the risk of ALL in comparison with T allele (OR=0.42, 95% CI=0.22-0.78, P=0.005). MTHFR rs1801131 (A1298C) polymorphism showed that the AC heterozygous genotype decreased the risk of ALL in comparison with AA homozygous genotype (OR=0.43, 95%CI=0.21-0.90, p=0.037). Neither the overall Chi-square comparison of cases and control subjects (x2=5.54, p=0.063) nor the logistic regression analysis showed significant association between C677T polymorphism and ALL (OR=1.25, 95% CI=0.69-2.23, p=0.552; CT vs. CC).
The current investigation findings showed that MTHFR rs1801131 and rs13306561 polymorphisms decreased the risk of ALL in the population which has been studied. Further studies with larger sample sizes and different ethnicities are required to validate our findings.

Acute leukemias are characterized by neoplastic proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells and accumulation of blasts and immature cells in the bone marrow. We applied a selective panel of immunohistochemical markers on bone marrow trephine tissue sections and observed their utility in diagnosis and typing of acute leukemia.
The study was done at PSG institute of medical sciences and research from 1st January, 2008 to 30th June, 2012. Immunohistochemistry was done to detect the expression of Myeloperoxidase (MPO), Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), Cluster of Differentiation 3 (CD3) and Cluster of Differentiation 20 (CD20).
On an average, 76 new cases of leukemia are diagnosed each year in our hospital. Of these 28.7% are acute leukemias, which had a bimodal peak age of occurrence with almost equal sex distribution. Only 9 cases could be typed as Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) or Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL) purely by morphology. Another 10 cases were typed using cytochemistry. Immunohistochemical panel helped to type 90% of cases. We also identified 1 case of AML of ambiguous lineage. The data were analysed statistically using SPSS version 21 and found out that the immunohistochemistry was found to be extremely significant (p Based on our results, we suggest the use of this limited panel of markers for routine evaluation of all acute leukemias. It is easier to type using Immunohistochemistry rather than flowcytometry, given the disadvantage of the costs involved with the latter.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) tests provide early identification of hematologic relapse and timely management of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Approximately, 50% of AML patients do not have clonal chromosomal aberrations and categorize as a cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML). About 60% of adult CN-AML has a mutation in exon 12 of NPM1 gene. This mutation is specific for malignant clone and potentially is a good marker of MRD. In this retrospective study, we set up a quantitative test for quantifying NPM1 type A mutation and AML patients carrying this mutation at the time of diagnosis, were followed-up.
We prepared plasmids containing a cDNA fragment of NPM1 and ABL genes by PCR cloning. The plasmids were used to construct standard curves. Eleven patients were analyzed using established method. Serial PB and/or BM samples (n=71) were taken in 1-3 months intervals (mean 1.5-month intervals) and median follow-up duration after chemotherapy was 11 months (5-28.5 months).
In this study, we developed RNA-based RQ-PCR to quantitation of NPM1 mutation A with sensitivities of 10(-5). The percent of NPMmut/ABL level showed a range between 132 and 757 with median of 383.5 in samples at diagnosis. The median NPMmut transcript level log reduction was 3 logs. Relapse occurred in 54.5% of patients (n=6), all cases at diagnosis demonstrated the same mutation at relapse. In patients who experienced relapse, log reduction levels of NPM1 mRNA transcript after therapy were 4 (n=2), 3 (n=2) and 1 log (n=2). Totally, NPMmut level showed less than 5 log reduction in all of them, whereas this reduction was 5-6 logs in other patients.
Despite the limitations of this study in terms of sample size and duration of follow-up, it showed the accuracy of set up for detection of mutation and this marker has worth for following-up at different stages of disease. Because of high frequency, stability, specificity to abnormal clone and high sensitivity, NPM1 is a suitable marker for monitoring of NPMc AML patients.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are the most common malignancies in children and adolescents. Therapies such as corticosteroids, cytotoxic and radiotherapy will have harmful effect on bone mineral density (BMD) which can lead to increased possibility of osteoporosis and pathological fractures.
Subjects and This 3-year cross-sectional study was performed in 50 children with ALL (n=25) and NHL (n=25) at Dr. Sheikh Children's Hospital in Mashhad. Half the patients received chemotherapy alone, while the other half received chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (n=25). We assessed them in the remission phase by DEXA bone mineral densitometry at the lumbar spine and femoral neck (hip). The survey results were adjusted in accordance with age, height, sex and Body Mass Index.
The mean age was 8.28 ± 3.93 years. There was no significant difference in bone biomarkers (Ca, P, ALP, PTH) among ALL, NHL and also the two treatment groups. Children with ALL had lower density at the hip and lumbar spine (p-value Given that 94% of our patients had abnormal bone density, it seems to be crucial to pay more attention to the metabolic status and BMD in children with cancer.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are employed in various different clinical settings in order to modulate immune response. Human autologous and allogeneic supplements including platelet derivatives such as platelet lysate (PL), platelet-released factors (PRF) and serum are assessed in clinical studies to replace fetal bovine serum (FBS). The immunosuppressive activity and multi-potential characteristic of MSCs appear to be maintained when the cells are expanded in platelet derivatives.
Platelet-rich plasma was collected from umbrical cord blood (UCB). Platelet-derived growth factors obtained by freeze and thaw methods. CD62P expression was determined by flow cytometry. The concentration of PDGF-BB and PDGF-AB was detemined by ELISA. We tested the ability of a different concentration of PL-supplemented medium to support the ex vivo expansion of Wharton's jelly derived MSCs. We also investigated the biological/functional properties of expanded MSCs in presence of different concentration of PL. The conventional karyotyping was performed in order to study the chromosomal stability. The gene expression of Collagen I and II aggrecan and SOX-9 in the presence of different concentrations of PL was evaluated by Real-time PCR.
We observed 5% and 10% PL, causing greater effects on proliferation of MSCs .These cells exhibited typical morphology, immunophenotype and differentiation capacity. The genetic stability of these derivative cells from Wharton's jelly was demonstrated by a normal karyotype. Furthermore, the results of Real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of chondrocyte specific genes was higher in MSCs in the presence of 5% and 10% PL, compared with FBS supplement.
We demonstrated that PL could be used as an alternative safe source of growth factors for expansion of MSCs and also maintained similar growing potential and phenotype without any effect on chromosomal stability.

MiRs are 17-25 nucleotide non-coding RNAs. These RNAs target approximately 80% of protein coding mRNAs. MiRs control gene expression and altered expression of them affects the development of cancer. MiRs can function as tumor suppressor via down-regulation of proto-oncogenes and may function as oncogenes by suppressing tumor suppressors. Myeloproliferative neoplasias (formerly known as chronic myeloproliferative disorders) form a class of hematologic malignancies demonstrating the expansion of stem cells in one or more hematopoietic cell lines. CML results from an acquired translocation known as BCR-ABL (Philadelphia chromosome). JAK2V617F mutation is present in over 95% of PV, 55% of ET and 65% of PMF cases. Aberrant expression of miR is associated with myeloproliferative neoplasias, pathogenesis, disease progress and response to treatment. MiRs can also be potential therapeutic targets. CML is mainly treated by tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as Imatinib. In addition, altered function of miRs may be used as a prognostic factor in treatment. Resistance to Imatinib is currently a major clinical problem. The role of a number of miRs has been demonstrated in this resistance. Changing expression pattern of miRs can be effective in response to treatment and inhibition of drug resistance. In this paper, we set out to evaluate the effect of miRs in pathogenesis and treatment of MPN.

Intraocular metastatic tumors have been increasingly reported in the recent past. Unlike choroidal metastasis, metastasis to retina is very rare and so far has been reported in very few case reports only.
a 56 year-old male who presented with a history of adenocarcinoma of the cecum and underwent lap colectomy for the primary cecal tumor, received adjuvant chemotherapy for a year after surgery and decided to stop. He was also diagnosed with metastasis to liver and lung at this time. He presented with left eye pain, pressure and decreased vision suspicious for retinal metastasis from cecal primary lesion, 2 years after initial diagnosis. A mass of 5 x 10 mm was found on ophthalmoscopic examination and on ultrasound of the eye, in spite of normal results of MRI of the orbit. Palliative radiation therapy of the left eye resulted in decreased eye pressure and improved vision.
As retinal metastasis carries a poorer prognosis due to higher risk of spread to central nervous system, the diagnosis of retinal metastasis in case of gastrointestinal cancers patients who present with vision changes should be made urgently. These patients should be thoroughly investigated with a synergistic approach of opthalmoscopic examination, ultrasound of the eye along with other imaging modalities like MRI of the orbit and just not MRI of orbit. Immediate action in the form of surgical or radiation treatments of the metastatic tumors of the eye should be instituted early on for a better prognosis.

Clavicular bone tumors occur in less than 0.5 percent of bone tumors. Primary chondrosarcoma is very rare even among clavicle tumors. The main symptom is a touchable mass in 69 % of patients. Dedicated centers using FNA and cytology can reach a correct diagnosis in 94% of cases. Treatment planning is done using simple X-ray, CT-scan, shoulder MRI, chest CT-scan, and whole body technetium scan. Treatment of choice for primary chondrosarcoma of clavicle is surgical resection.