Synchronous diagnosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Two case reports.

BACKGROUND: The concurrence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is rare. Previous reports of such cases have focused mainly on clinical diagnosis and characteristics, so the mechanism remains unclear, and therapy options have been poorly explored. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we report two cases of synchronous AML and CLL. Flow cytometry revealed two distinct abnormal cell populations (myeloblasts and lymphoid cells) according to scatter characteristics. CD5-positive B cell lymphoma with myeloid leukemia invasion was observed on lymph node biopsy. Chemotherapy regimens indicated for both AML and CLL were used in our patients, and our patients achieved complete response after chemotherapy. Next-generation sequencing of 88 genes was performed. CONCLUSION: We conclude that early mutation and dysregulation at the hematopoietic stem cell stage and the accumulation of multiple rearrangements may cause the concurrence of CLL and AML. The treatment of infection and combination therapy aimed at the CLL component are significant in the management of patients with concurrent CLL and AML.

Complete response to trastuzumab and chemotherapy in recurrent urothelial bladder carcinoma with HER2 gene amplification: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Targeted treatments may greatly affect the natural history of urothelial carcinoma based on their pharmacokinetics. A phase II trial has explored the combination of cytotoxic chemotherapy with the anti-HER-2 monoclonal antibody trastuzumab in selected patients with metastatic bladder cancer, but it failed. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we report a case of recurrent urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) in a patient who has undergone three operations, and further illuminate its diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis of UBC was rendered according to the pathological indices. Next-generation sequencing on formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue was also performed and suggested HER2 gene amplification in the FFPE tissue. Based on HER2 gene amplification in FFPE, the patient was treated with chemotherapy in combination with trastuzumab after his third surgery. Fortunately, the patient got a clinically complete remission to trastuzumab for 34 mo. CONCLUSION: There is not enough clinical evidence for incorporating trastuzumab in routine treatment of UBC. This case hinted that recurrent UBC patients with HER2 gene amplification may benefit from targeted trastuzumab. Further studies are needed to further investigate the status of HER2 gene and better determine trastuzumab in the management of UBC.

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Accumulation in Giant Embryo Rice Seeds.

To uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying GABA accumulation in giant embryo rice seeds, we analyzed the expression levels of GABA metabolism genes and contents of GABA and GABA metabolic intermediates in developing grains and germinated brown rice of giant embryo rice 'Shangshida No. 5' and normal embryo rice 'Chao2-10' respectively. In developing grains, the higher GABA contents in 'Shangshida No. 5' were accompanied with upregulation of gene transcripts and intermediate contents in the polyamine pathway and downregulation of GABA catabolic gene transcripts, as compared with those in 'Chao2-10'. In germinated brown rice, the higher GABA contents in 'Shangshida No. 5' were parallel with upregulation of OsGAD and polyamine pathway gene transcripts and Glu and polyamine pathway intermediate contents and downregulation of GABA catabolic gene transcripts. These results are the first to indicate that polyamine pathway and GABA catabolic genes play a crucial role in GABA accumulation in giant embryo rice seeds.

[Advances of studies on members of P53 family, interaction and relation with leukemia -review].

The P53 gene has the important functions including induction of apoptosis, regulation of cell cycle, repair of DNA damage. The mutation of the P53 gene exists in more than 50% of human tumors and 13% of hematological malignancies. The P53 gene abnormality is closely related with the clinical course and prognosis of leukemia. The P73 or P63 gene, the member of the P53 family not only possesses similar to P53 activity of inducing apoptosis, activating transcription, but also plays different biological effects according to protein structural diversity, and even antagonises the function of the P53 gene. Researchers found that P73 or P63 gene also has the dual characteristics of the tumor suppressor and oncogene, and shows different expression and function in different types, different stages of leukemia. In this article, P53 family (P53, P73, P63) gene structure, biological function and the relationship of the three genes with the course, prognostic outcome, treatment and other clinical features of the leukemia are reviewed.