First proposed panels on acute leukemia for four-color immunophenotyping by flow cytometry from the Brazilian group of flow cytometry-GBCFLUX.

Multiparameter flow cytometry is a highly sensitive, fast, and specific diagnostic technology with a wide range of applicability in hematology. Although well-established eight-color immunophenotyping panels are already available, most Brazilian clinical laboratories are equipped with four-color flow cytometer facilities. Based on this fact, the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry (Grupo Brasileiro de Citometria de Fluxo, GBCFLUX) for standardization of clinical flow cytometry has proposed an antibody panel designed to allow precise diagnosis and characterization of acute leukemia (AL) within resource-restricted areas. Morphological analysis of bone marrow smears, together with the screening panel, is mandatory for the primary identification of AL. The disease-oriented panels proposed here are divided into three levels of recommendations (mandatory, recommendable, and optional) in order to provide an accurate final diagnosis, as well as allow some degree of flexibility based on available local resources and patient-specific needs. The proposed panels will be subsequently validated in an interlaboratory study to evaluate its effectiveness on the diagnosis and classification of AL. (Assoc editor comm. 2).

"First proposed panels on acute leukemia for four-color immunophenotyping by flow cytometry from the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry - GBCFLUX"

Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) is a highly sensitive, fast and specific diagnostic technology with a wide range of applicability in hematology. Although well-established eight-color immunophenotyping panels are already available, most Brazilian clinical laboratories are equipped with four-color flow cytometer facilities. Based on this fact, the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry (Grupo Brasileiro de Citometria de Fluxo, GBCFLUX) for standardization of clinical flow cytometry has proposed an antibody panel designed to allow precise diagnosis and characterization of acute leukemia (AL) within resource-restricted areas. Morphological analysis of bone marrow smears, together with the screening panel, is mandatory for the primary identification of AL. The disease-oriented panels proposed here are divided into three levels of recommendations (mandatory, recommendable and optional) in order to provide an accurate final diagnosis, as well as allow some degree of flexibility based on available local resources and patient-specific needs. The proposed panels will be subsequently validated in an inter-laboratory study to evaluate its effectiveness on the diagnosis and classification of AL. © 2014 Clinical Cytometry Society.

Deregulation of apoptosis-related genes is associated with PRV1 overexpression and JAK2 V617F allele burden in Essential Thrombocythemia and Myelofibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) and Primary Myelofibrosis (PMF) are Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) characterized by clonal myeloproliferation/myeloaccumulation without cell maturation impairment. The JAK2 V617F mutation and PRV1 gene overexpression may contribute to MPN physiopathology. We hypothesized that deregulation of the apoptotic machinery may also play a role in the pathogenesis of ET and PMF. In this study we evaluated the apoptosis-related gene and protein expression of BCL2 family members in bone marrow CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and peripheral blood leukocytes from ET and PMF patients. We also tested whether the gene expression results were correlated with JAK2 V617F allele burden percentage, PRV1 overexpression, and clinical and laboratory parameters. RESULTS: By real time PCR assay, we observed that A1, MCL1, BIK and BID, as well as A1, BCLW and BAK gene expression were increased in ET and PMF CD34+ cells respectively, while pro-apoptotic BAX and anti-apoptotic BCL2 mRNA levels were found to be lower in ET and PMF CD34+ cells respectively, in relation to controls. In patients' leukocytes, we detected an upregulation of anti-apoptotic genes A1, BCL2, BCL-XL and BCLW. In contrast, pro-apoptotic BID and BIMEL expression were downregulated in ET leukocytes. Increased BCL-XL protein expression in PMF leukocytes and decreased BID protein expression in ET leukocytes were observed by Western Blot. In ET leukocytes, we found a correlation between JAK2 V617F allele burden and BAX, BIK and BAD gene expression and between A1, BAX and BIK and PRV1 gene expression. A negative correlation between PRV1 gene expression and platelet count was observed, as well as a positive correlation between PRV1 gene expression and splenomegaly. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest the participation of intrinsic apoptosis pathway in the MPN physiopathology. In addition, PRV1 and JAK2 V617F allele burden were linked to deregulation of the apoptotic machinery.

Tratamento de suporte e quelação de ferro em pacientes com síndromes mielodisplásicas / Supportive care, tranfusion and chelation therapy for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes

As síndromes mielodisplásicas (SMD) são um grupo heterogêneo de distúrbios hematológicos que ocorrem mais freqüentemente em pacientes idosos e que cursa, na maioria dos casos, com anemia crônica dependente de transfusão de hemoderivados. Conseqüentemente, muitos destes pacientes passam a apresentar sobrecarga de ferro, que pode levar a danos teciduais graves. Ambas as terapias, transfusional e de quelação de ferro, quando indicadas, são importantes para manter a sobrevida e a qualidade de vida destes pacientes. A terapia de quelação de ferro está indicada especialmente nos subtipos de SMD com melhor prognóstico e sobrevida longa o suficiente para o desenvolvimento de sobrecarga de ferro com relevância clínica. A terapia de quelação de ferro apresenta algumas limitações relacionadas à necessidade de longo tempo de infusão da deferoxamina, da dificuldade de adesão pelo paciente, bem como da aquisição da bomba de infusão. O uso da deferiprona, que é um quelante oral de ferro, está contra-indicado neste grupo de pacientes, pelo risco de neutropenia e agranulocitose. O deferasirox é um novo quelante oral de ferro em estudo e que poderá, no futuro, ser uma opção adequada para os pacientes com SMD e sobrecarga de ferro. Novos estudos em pacientes com síndromes mielodisplásicas são necessários para melhor estabelecer critérios de diagnóstico da sobrecarga de ferro, bem com da terapia de quelação neste grupo.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are a heterogeneous group of hematological disorders which are more common in the elderly and related to chronic anemia dependent on blood transfusions. Consequently, many of these patients develop iron overload which may lead to severe injury to tissues. Transfusions and chelation therapy, when indicated, are important for survival and to maintain the quality of life. Chelation therapy is indicated especially for MDS subtypes with a better prognosis and a sufficiently long survival to develop clinically relevant iron overload. Chelation therapy presents with some limitations in particular the long time required for deferoxamine infusion and the difficulties of patients to comply with treatment and to acquire an infusion pump. The clinical use of deferiprone, an oral chelator, is not indicated for MDS patients because of the risk of neutropenia and agranulocytosis. Deferasirox is a new oral chelator currently under clinical development that will probably be, in the future, an adequate option for MDS patients with iron overload. Additional studies in MDS patients are necessary to establish better diagnostic and chelation therapy criteria.