[Diagnostic efficacy of WT1 expression in asymptomatic acute promyelocytic leukemia].

We report a case of early asymptomatic acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with leukopenia as the only hematologic abnormality. A 55-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with leukopenia (white blood cell [WBC] count of 1,500/µl with 36% neutrophils), which was incidentally determined during an annual medical checkup. Two months before the presentation, her WBC was 3,400/µl with 60% neutrophils. A WBC count was 1,200/µl with 40% neutrophils. Immature myeloid cells were not observed. Her hemoglobin level and platelet count were normal. Moreover, no clinical or laboratory evidence was suggestive of disseminated intravascular coagulation or infection. The peripheral blood WT1 mRNA level was increased to 26,000 copies/µg RNA. The bone marrow aspirate smear revealed 40% myeloperoxidase-positive promyelocytes with occasional Auer rods and faggots; however, circulating leukemia cells were not revealed by cell morphology or flow cytometry analysis. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed WT1 and PML-RARA fusion transcripts in both the peripheral blood and bone marrow samples. Thus, the determination of peripheral blood WT1 expression may be sufficiently sensitive for detecting a small number of circulating APL cells.

Coordination Geometrical Effect on Ligand-to-Metal Charge Transfer-Dependent Energy Transfer Processes of Luminescent Eu(III) Complexes.

Photophysical properties of europium (Eu(III)) complexes are affected by ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) states. Two luminescent Eu(III) complexes with three tetramethylheptadionates (tmh) and pyridine (py), [Eu(tmh)3(py)1] (seven-coordinated monocapped-octahedral structure) and [Eu(tmh)3(py)2] (eight-coordinated square antiprismatic structure), were synthesized for geometrical-induced LMCT level control. Distances between Eu(III) and oxygen atoms of tmh ligands were estimated using single-crystal X-ray analyses. The contribution percentages of π-4f mixing in HOMO and LUMO at the optimized structure in the ground state were calculated using DFT (LC-BLYP). The Eu-O distances and their π-4f mixed orbitals affect the energy level of LMCT states in Eu(III) complexes. The LMCT energy level of an eight-coordinated Eu(III) complex was higher than that of a seven-coordinated Eu(III) complex. The energy transfer processes between LMCT and Eu(III) ion were investigated using temperature-dependent and time-resolved emission lifetime measurements of 5D0 → 7FJ transitions of Eu(III) ions. In this study, the LMCT-dependent energy transfer processes of seven- and eight-coordinated Eu(III) complexes are demonstrated for the first time.

[Reagent-dependent pseudo-prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time].

We report a case of pseudo-prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), which was suspected to be caused by an animal-derived phospholipid. A 78-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of an unexplained APTT prolongation. She had compensated alcoholic liver cirrhosis, with modestly decreased platelet count and normal prothrombin time, and no bleeding tendency. The APTT was 66 seconds in a test using phospholipid extracted from rabbit brain but was 34.9 seconds with synthetic phospholipids. The artifactual pseudo-prolongation of the APTT was seemingly attributable to the susceptibility of the test reagents to low factor XII levels. Thus, tests with different APTT reagents would be useful to physicians in the diagnosis of similar cases.

Dual Energy Transfer Pathways from an Antenna Ligand to Lanthanide Ion in Trivalent Europium Complexes with Phosphine-Oxide Bridges.

Trivalent europium (Eu3+) complexes are attractive materials for luminescence applications if energy transfer from antenna ligands to the lanthanide ion is efficient. However, the microscopic mechanisms of the transfer remain elusive, and fundamental physical chemistry questions still require answers. We track the energy transfer processes in a luminescent complex Eu(hfa)3(DPPTO)2 (hfa, hexafluoroacetylacetonate; DPPTO, 2-diphenylphosphoryltriphenylene) using time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. In addition to the conventional energy transfer pathway through the T1 state of the ligands, we discovered ultrafast energy transfer pathway directly from the singlet excited states of the ligands to the 5D1 state of Eu3+. The short time scale of the energy transfer (3 ns, 200 ns) results in its high photoluminescence quantum yield. The discovery of the distinct energy transfer pathways from a single chromophore is important for establishing design strategies of luminescent complexes.

Highly efficient light harvesting of a Eu(iii) complex in a host-guest film by triplet sensitization.

Trivalent lanthanide complexes are attractive light emitters owing to their ideal high color purity. Sensitization using ligands with high absorption efficiency is a powerful approach to enhancing photoluminescence intensity. However, the development of antenna ligands that can be used for sensitization is limited due to difficulties in controlling the coordination structures of lanthanides. When compared to conventional luminescent Eu(iii) complexes, a system composed of triazine-based host molecules and Eu(hfa)3(TPPO)2 (hfa: hexafluoroacetylacetonato and TPPO: triphenylphosphine oxide) significantly increased total photoluminescence intensity. Energy transfer from the host molecules to the Eu(iii) ion occurs via triplet states over several molecules, according to time-resolved spectroscopic studies, with nearly 100% efficiency. Our discovery paves the way for efficient light harvesting of Eu(iii) complexes with simple fabrication using a solution process.