A Simple Aptamer-Based Nanoconjugate Assay for Diagnosis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) as a bone marrow stem cell clonal disease appears from the proliferation of granulocyte cells at all stages of maturation. If the disease diagnosis is not early, patients enter the blastic phase, which decreases their survival rate to 3-6 months. It implies the significance of the early diagnosis of CML. In this study, we introduce a simple array for diagnosis of the K562 cells as the human immortalized myeloid leukemia cell line. The developed aptamer-based biosensor (aptasensor) includes the T2-KK1B10 aptamer strands attached to the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) with the cavities accumulated from rhodamine B and coated by both Ca2+ ions and ATP aptamer. The aptamer-based nanoconjugate can enter the K562 cells through the complexation of the T2-KK1B10 aptamer with the cells. The ATP in the cells and low level of intracellular Ca2+ ion release both the aptamer and ion from the surface of the MSNPs. The liberated rhodamine B results in an increased fluorescence intensity. Fluorescence microscope imaging and flow cytometry histogram display a strong fluorescence emission for the K562 cells (CML cells) exposed to the nanoconjugate in comparison with that for MCF-7 cells. The aptasensor possesses good performance in the blood samples with the advantages of high sensitivity, rapidness, and cost-effectiveness, making it an appropriate tool for the diagnosis of CML disease.

Down-Regulation of Ribosomal S6 kinase RPS6KA6 in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Signaling pathways such as extracellular regulated kinase/mitogen activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) have increased activity in leukemia. Ribosomal 6 kinase (RSK4) is a factor downstream of the MAPK/ERK pathway and an important tumor suppressor which inhibits ERK trafficking. Decrease in RSK4 expression has been reported in some malignancies, which leads to an increase in growth and proliferation and eventually poor prognosis. In this study we measured RSK4 expression rate in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was undertaken in 2013-2014 at Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, on 40 AML patients and 10 non-AML patients as the control group. The expression rate was measured by real-time polymerase change reaction (PCR) and employing the ΔΔCT method. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Spearman tests using SPSS (version 11.5). RESULTS: Expression rate of RSK4 was significantly decreased in the AML group in comparison with the non-AML group (P<0.001). There was also a significant decrease in RSK4 expression in AML with t(15;17) in comparison to other translocations (P=0.004). CONCLUSION: We detected a down-regulation of RSK4 in AML patients. This may lead to an increase in the activity of the ERK/MPAK pathway and exacerbate leukemogenesis or the prognosis of the patients.

Association of metabolic syndrome with serum fibroblast growth factor 21 in kidney transplanted patients.

INTRODUCTION: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a metabolic regulator with multiple beneficial effects on glucose and lipid homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between the serum level of FGF21 with and metabolic syndrome (MS) in kidney transplant recipients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study on 86 stable renal transplant recipients to detect possible relation between serum FGF21 level and MS during October 2014 and Mach 2015. Patients with past history of diabetes mellitus were excluded. RESULTS: There were 43 patients in each group with and without MS. Totally, they were 52 (60.5%) male and 34 (39.5%) female. The mean age of the MS group was significantly higher than that of non-MS group. There was not significant difference between mean serum creatinine level and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) between two groups (P > 0.05). The MS patients had higher weight and body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.05). The prevalence of BMI >25 kg/m(2) in MS group was 25 (58.8%) versus non-MS group that only 10 (23.3%) had this condition (P < 0.05). The mean of FGF21 level in MS and non-MS groups was 1.23 ± 0.67 ng/l and 1.18 ± 0.71 ng/l, respectively (P > 0.05). There was not significant difference of serum FGF21 level between MS and non-MS patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: While the elevated serum FGF21 level was found in subjects with insulin resistant states, however, this study revealed that serum FGF21 levels were not significantly increased in renal transplanted recipients with MS as compared with non-MS group.

In Vitro Gluten Challenge Test for Celiac Disease Diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES: The in vitro gluten challenge test is an important diagnostic modality in celiac disease (CD), especially in patients who begin treatment with a gluten-free diet before adequate diagnostic workup or in cases with atypical CD. Available literature was reviewed regarding the accuracy of the in vitro gluten challenge test for CD diagnosis. METHODS: MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched, and studies that used serology and bowel biopsy as the criterion standard for diagnosis were included in our study. Data on authors, publication year, characteristics of the patient and control groups, patients' diet, duration of the gluten challenge test, histology findings, endomysial antibody (EMA) and anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) levels, CD markers, and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1, and human leukocyte antigens before and after the gluten challenge test were extracted. RESULTS: Overall, 15 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity %/specificity % was 84/99 for EMA after the challenge, 52/96 for EMA without the challenge, 95.5/98.3 for anti-tTG after the challenge, and 95.1/98.3 for anti-tTG without the challenge test. Sensitivity/specificity for immunological markers were 89/97 for the percentage of CD25⁺-lamina propria lymphocytes, 96/91 for the percentage of CD3⁺-lamina propria lymphocytes, and 96.1/85.7 for the percentage of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1-lamina propria lymphocytes. The factors that increased the sensitivity of EMA were longer test duration, and the evaluation of patients on a gluten-containing diet or short-term gluten-free diet. CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro gluten challenge test can be a useful part of the diagnostic workup of CD, rather than only a model to evaluate its mechanisms.

Role of the Lewis and ABO Blood Group Antigens in Helicobacter pylori Infection.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection is a major risk factor for chronic gastritis and gastric cancer. Some findings show increased frequencies of these diseases in individuals with type O blood and in secretors (expressing Le(b) antigen), but other studies have not found any relationship between blood groups and this infection. Given that H. pylori infection and gastric cancer are common in Iran, the assessment of the pathogenesis of this infection in relation to these blood groups could be valuable. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, we determined the ABO and Lewis blood groups of participants using the tube method and evaluated the level of anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This study included 171 Iranian blood donors from Mashhad, Iran, during 2010. The significance of the differences in the frequencies of the Lewis and ABO phenotypes between individuals infected with and without H. Pylori infection were tested using the Chi-square test. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: H. pylori infection was found in 76.6% of the study subjects (n = 131). The most common ABO blood group was O (33.9%), and the most common Lewis blood group was Le(a-b+) (54.7%). The frequencies of the ABO, Lewis, and secretion phenotypes were not significantly different between the infected and uninfected subjects. CONCLUSION: We did not find any significant relationship between the Lewis, ABO, and secretion phenotypes and H. pylori infection.