Angiogenesis, coagulation, and fibrinolytic markers in acute promyelocytic leukemia (NB4): An evaluation of melatonin effects.

Melatonin is a powerful biological agent that has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and also exerts anti-inflammatory effects. It is well known that new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) has become an urgent issue in leukemia as well as solid tumors. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a form of liquid cancer that manifests increased angiogenesis in the bone marrow of patients. Despite high-rate curable treatment with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and recently arsenic-trioxide (ATO), early death because of hemorrhage, coagulopathy, and Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) remains still a concerning issue in these patients. It is, therefore, urgent to seek treatment strategies with antiangiogenic capabilities that also diminish coagulopathy and hyperfibrinolysis in APL patients. In this study, a coculture system with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and NB4 APL cells was used to investigate the direct effect of melatonin on angiogenesis and its possible action on tissue factor (TF) and tissue-type plasminogen activator-1 (TPA-1) expression. Our experiments revealed that HUVEC-induced angiogenesis by cocultured NB4 cells was suppressed when melatonin alone or in combination with ATRA was added to the incubation medium. Melatonin at concentrations of 1 mM inhibited tube formation of HUVECs and also decreased interleukin-6 secretion and VEGF mRNA expression in HUVEC and NB4 cells. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that melatonin inhibits accelerated angiogenesis of HUVECs and ameliorates the coagulation and fibrinolysis indices stimulated by coculturing with NB4 cells.

Inhibition of Skp2 enhances doxorubicin-induced cell death in B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) is a well-defined component of the Skp2-Culin1-F-box (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, which is involved in cell cycle progression and considered a prognostic marker in cancers. Overexpression of Skp2 is frequently observed in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Inhibition of this protein may be a valuable strategy to induce apoptosis in malignant cells. Less well known is the effect of Skp2 inhibition on the potentiation of the chemotherapeutic-induced cell death in B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). Our results demonstrated that inhibition of the Skp2 using SZL P1-41, not only resulted in caspase-mediated apoptosis but also potentiated doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in BCP-ALL cell lines (NALM-6 and SUP-B15). SZL P1-41 in combination with doxorubicin altered cell cycle distribution and the level of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases in BCP-ALL cells. DNA damage response genes were also upregulated in presence of the doxorubicin and SZL P1-41 in both cell lines. In conclusion, our results indicated that inhibition of Skp2 either alone or in a combination with doxorubicin may hold promise in the future treatment of BCP-ALL.

Apoptotic effect of berberine via Bcl-2, ROR1, and mir-21 in patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Berberine is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid that has been shown to inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis in a wide variety of tumor cells. However, the action mechanism of berberine in CLL cells is unknown. The previous study has shown that berberine leads to reduced viability and elevated levels of apoptosis in PBMCs of CLL patients. CLL cells are characterized by remarkable expression of Bcl-2 and ROR1 which leads to activation and survival and increases disease progression in patients. High-level expression of miR-21 in patients with CLL is associated with a higher risk of death. Here we investigated the anticancer effects of berberine upon peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of CLL patients. To evaluate the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins and ROR1 using flow cytometry and western blot, PBMCs were treated with 25 µM of berberine for 24 hr. The expression levels of mir-21 were evaluated by real-time PCR. Examination of treated cells demonstrated that berberine decreased Bcl-2 and ROR1 levels. Although western blot results did not show any change in Bax as a pro-apoptotic protein, an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio indicated that mitochondrial pathway is involved in berberine-induced apoptosis of CLL cells. Interestingly, berberine could reduce the expression of miR-21 in comparison to the untreated group. Our findings describe some of the molecular mechanisms of berberine by decreasing Bcl-2, ROR1, and mir-21 which may be considered as a novel apoptosis inducer in CLL cells.

Evaluating the mechanism underlying antitumor effect of interleukin 27 on B cells of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.

Chronic lymphocyte leukemia (CLL) is a B-cell malignancy resisted to apoptosis. Recently, some studies indicated that cytokines such as interleukin 27 (IL-27) can reduce B-cell proliferation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the mechanism underlying the proapoptotic effect of IL-27 on B cells of patients with CLL in comparison with B cells of normal subjects. The effect of IL-27 on the antitumor activity of natural killer (NK) and T cells was also evaluated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from 35 patients with CLL and 15 normal subjects. B cells and PBMCs were cocultured with IL-27 and B cells apoptosis to evaluate proliferation. Both messenger RNA and protein expression of IL-27 and IL-27 receptor were determined using flow cytometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. To evaluate the apoptotic effect of IL-27 on B cells of patients with CLL, Annexin V-FITC and 7-AAD (BioLegend) fluorescent dyes were used. In addition, the IL-27 effect on activation of T cell and NK cell was determined by determining CD96 molecule expression. IL-27 and IL-27 receptor expression in patients with CLL was significantly lower than that of normal subjects (p < .05). IL-27 enhanced apoptosis of B cells in patients with CLL (p < .05) but this effect was not significantly observed in B cells of normal subjects (p > .05). Consequently, IL-27 reduced the proliferation of B cells and enhanced NK cell activity (p < .05). IL-27, through inducing apoptosis, can exert an inhibitory effect on cancer B cells of CLL patients with minimal effect on normal B cells.

Flow cytometric Immunophenotyping and Hematological Findings at Diagnosis and Relapse of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a common pediatric leukemia caused by lymphoid precursor proliferation. We analyzed immunophenotyping and hematological findings, as the risk of relapse, of pediatric ALL patients at diagnosis and relapse. METHODS: Peripheral blood and bone marrow samples of 30 pediatric ALL patients were collected at diagnosis and at relapse. The latter was evaluated for immunophenotyping and cytochemical staining (Periodic Acid Schiff stain (PAS)), while hematological findings were assessed in the former one. RESULTS: The percentage of PAS-positive patients, TdT, and CD4 expression were significantly higher at diagnosis than relapse (p = 0.027, 0.004, and 0.043, respectively), whereas the platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were significantly lower at diagnosis (p = 0.004 and 0.032, respectively). There were correla-tions between immunophenotyping and hematology data, including: a) a negative correlation between CD4 expression with blast percentage (r = -0.927, p = 0.003) and hemoglobin level (r = -0.991, p < 0.001) at diagnosis and TdT expression with platelet count (r = -0.441, p = 0.017) at relapse, and b) a positive correlation between CD3 expression with PLR (r = 0.367, p = 0.046) at relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that changes in immunophenotyping and hematology findings could be applied as relapse prognostic factors in ALL.

ATP-Binding Cassette transporters' gene expression in pediatric patients with acute leukemia; a comprehensive analysis of published reports through PubMed search engine.

Multidrug resistance based on ABC transporters' gene expression is one of the most important health challenges through chemotherapy of patients. This resistance can cause relapse or treatment failure. The goal of this conducted study was to evaluate the results of published reports which considered ABC transporters' gene expression in pediatric patients with acute leukemia. PubMed as a free search engine was chosen. The following Mesh terms were used as: "ATP-binding cassette transporters" OR "ABC-transporters*" AND "gene expression*" AND "leukemia" OR "ALL" OR "AML" OR "acute leukemia*". Age was set as an additional filter with the age range of birth to 18 years old. Initial screening was performed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and the quality of the selected papers was assessed. Papers categorized into three sections as: pediatric patients with ALL (6 papers from 1998-2015); pediatric patients with AML (3 papers from 1992-2011) and pediatric patients with ALL and AML (7 papers from 1992-2014). Totally 1118 patients enrolled in the searched studies (ALL and AML: 488; ALL: 405; AML: 225). The common method for evaluating gene expression of ABC transporters was RT-PCR. More than 50% of the papers showed the influence of ABC transporters' gene expression on prognosis and treatment failures of patients. Despite controversial results, the gathered information in the current report serves as a comprehensive referential resource, which can be beneficial for future planning around this title, especially in developing countries.

Management and outcomes of treating pediatric medulloblastoma: an eight years' experience in an Iranian pediatric center.

PURPOSE: The clinical management of pediatric medulloblastoma requires a multidisciplinary approach, which can be challenging, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to identify current challenges and describe the treatment and outcomes of Iranian pediatric patients with medulloblastoma who were referred to our center in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: Our retrospective review included 126 patient records from April 2007 to May 2015. The records were analyzed for epidemiologic features, treatment modalities, overall survival, and progression-free survival. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS: Median age at diagnosis was 6 years (male:female ratio, 2.3:1). At the time of diagnosis, 7 patients were 2 years or younger, and 76 (60.3%) were categorized as having high-risk disease. Overall, 100 patients had gross or near-total surgical resection. Cerebral spinal fluid involvement was detected in 22.2% of the patients tested, and spinal involvement was detected in 25% of the patients who underwent spinal MRI. Metastasis stages at the time of diagnosis were as follows: M0: 48.4% patients, M1: 16.7%, M2: 5.5%, and M3: 21.4%. Median times of follow-up and progression-free survival were 16 and 12 months, respectively. Probability of 7-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 59 and 53.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the current retrospective study emphasize the need for implementing measures to improve outcome for our patients with medulloblastoma. Such measures include a multidisciplinary approach, unified national treatment guidelines, better disease and metastasis staging, twinning initiatives, and seeking a second opinion when needed.

Treatment challenges and outcomes for pediatric intracranial ependymoma at a single institution in Iran.

BACKGROUND: The scarcity of information on pediatric ependymoma in Iran motivated this study. Our main objectives were to determine outcomes, identify clinical management challenges at a nongovernment hospital in Iran, and devise guidelines for improving care. PROCEDURE: A retrospective chart review was performed for pediatric patients with ependymoma who were younger than 15 years and treated at MPCTRC between 2007 and 2015. Records included patient demographics, treatment regimens used, duration of follow-up, and outcomes. Clinical outcomes [ie, 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS)] were determined based on the age at diagnosis (younger or older than 3 years) by using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: In total, 73 eligible patients were enrolled; 20 patients were in the younger group, and 53 were in the older group. The majority (91.8%, n = 67) of patients underwent initial gross-total or partial surgical resection, and 6 (8.2%) had a biopsy. Twenty-one patients experienced ependymoma recurrence. The median time to relapse was 1 year. The median duration of follow-up and PFS were 25 and 17 months, respectively. The 3-year OS and PFS were 61% and 59.5%, respectively. At the time of this project, 27 patients had died, and 35 were alive with no evidence of disease. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated inferior outcomes of Iranian children with ependymoma. To improve our care for these children, a paradigm shift must occur that includes radiation therapy as standard of care, second-look surgery, a multidisciplinary team approach, and potentially twinning initiatives.

Family History and Relapse in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

We report the epidemiology and characteristics of acute myeloid leukemia and outcomes of its treatment with the AML-BFM 83 protocol at the Mahak Pediatric Cancer Treatment and Research Center, Tehran, Iran, from 2007 to 2012. A positive family history of cancer or leukemia was associated with the risk of relapse (family history of cancer in relapse: n = 11; 61%, P = 0.136, leukemia: n = 7; 39%; P = 0.016). Treatment-related mortality was 19% and associated with underweight patients (n = 5; 62.5%; P = 0.158). Event-free and overall survivals were 36% (SE = 3.5) and 44% (SE = 3.4), respectively. These data suggest a possible relationship between family history and relapse rate.

Childhood central nervous system tumors at MAHAK's Pediatric Cancer Treatment and Research Center (MPCTRC), Tehran, Iran.

PURPOSE: As central nervous system (CNS) tumors account for second most common childhood malignancies and the first cause of mortality in children with cancer, improving treatment modalities can lead to increase the health care of patients. In this study, we examined the prevalence of childhood brain tumors in patients who referred to MAHAK's Pediatric Cancer Treatment and Research Center (MPCTRC) for treatment. METHODS: A retrospective review of all children less than 15 years old with a CNS histologically proven tumor, who presented to MPCTRC from April 2007 to April 2010, was performed. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 19 with Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Chi-square tests. RESULTS: There were 198 (124 boys) children eligible for the study. The majority of the tumors were infratentorial (n = 134), and the rest were supratentorial (n = 60) and spinal (n = 4) cases. The median age was 6.11 ± 3.65 years old. Medulloblastoma (n = 66), low-grade glioma (n = 52), and high-grade glioma (n = 40) were the most common tumors. The mean duration of follow-up was 21 months. At the time of this analysis, there were 105 (53 %) children alive, 82 (41.4 %) deaths, and 11 (5.6 %) lost for follow-up. The survival rate was 51.68 ± 5.22 %. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast of high rate of death in this study, other general characteristics can serve as benchmark for improving our care for children with brain tumors in Iran.

Translating mechanisms into therapeutic strategies for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP): Lessons from clinical trials.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder that causes a significant reduction in peripheral blood platelet count. Fortunately, due to an increased understanding of ITP, there have been significant improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. Over the past decade, there have been a variety of proven therapeutic options available for ITP patients, including intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), Rituximab, corticosteroids, and thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs). Although the effectiveness of current therapies in treating more than two-thirds of patients, still some patients do not respond well to conventional therapies or fail to achieve long-term remission. Recently, a significant advancement has been made in identifying various mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of ITP, leading to the development of novel treatments targeting these pathways. It seems that new agents that target plasma cells, Bruton tyrosine kinase, FcRn, platelet desialylation, splenic tyrosine kinase, and classical complement pathways are opening new ways to treat ITP. In this study, we reviewed the pathophysiology of ITP and summarized updates in this population's management and treatment options. We also took a closer look at the 315 ongoing trials to investigate their progress status and compare the effectiveness of interventions. May our comprehensive view of ongoing clinical trials serve as a guiding beacon, illuminating the path towards future trials of different drugs in the treatment of ITP patients.

Identification of miR-20a as A Potential Discerning Biomarker for Non-Invasive versus Invasive Retinoblastoma.

OBJECTIVE: Intraocular retinoblastoma (RB) is common in kids. Although the cause of this disease is a mutation in the RB1 gene, the formed cancerous mass in different patients is seen in non-invasive states, limited to the ocular cavity or in invasive states distributed to other parts of the body. Because this tumor's aggressiveness cannot be predicted early, these patients receive systemic chemotherapy with multiple drugs. Treating non-invasive and invasive tumors separately reduces chemical drug side effects. The aim of this study was to identify diagnostic biomarkers by separating miRNAs in blood serum from invasive and non-invasive RB patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, selected three gene expression omnibus (GEO) datasets. Two were related to serum and tumor tissue miRNAs, and one was related to non-invasive and invasive RB gene expression. Examined RB gene-miRNA relationships. Then, we performed real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on candidate miRNAs in the Y79 cell line and patient blood samples in non-invasive and invasive retinoblastoma. RESULTS: Fourteen high-expression and 7 low-expression miRNAs resulted. MiR-181, miR-135a, miR-20a, miR-373, and miR-191 were common genes with differential genes between invasive and non-invasive retinoblastoma. Only MiR-181 was upregulated in the Y79 RB cell line. Other candidate miRNAs expressed less. Invasive retinoblastomas increased serum miR-20a and miR-191. CONCLUSION: Integrated and regular bioinformatics analyses found important miRNAs in patients' and miR-20a, miR- 191, and miR-135a can distinguish non-invasive and invasive retinoblastoma, suggesting further research.

Factors associated with cord blood IgE levels.

BACKGROUND: The cord blood IgE level is thought to be a predictor of allergic disorders in childhood. It is not well understood how this marker is influenced by the fetal environment, such as maternal, paternal, placenta, and fetal characteristics. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the association between cord blood IgE levels and various genetic and environmental factors. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study including a total of 181 neonates and their mothers. A questionnaire asking about demographic data, delivery characteristics, maternal past medical history and information on exposure to known environmental allergens was distributed to pregnant women. Blood samples from them and neonatal cord blood samples were taken at the same time for IgE assay. RESULTS: By univariate analysis we found an association between cord blood IgE levels and higher number of previous pregnancies, delivery season, type of delivery, history of allergy during pregnancy, but not the type of allergic disease and history of allergic disease before pregnancy, were associated with elevated cord blood IgElevels. The maternal blood level of IgE was correlated with its level in cord blood. By multivariate analysis, the number of previous pregnancies, the type and season of delivery and a history of allergy during pregnancy and maternal age and blood IgE levels were variables which had a significant association with cord blood IgE levels. CONCLUSION: Among the evaluated factors, the presence of any kind of allergic disorder in the mother or her family and elevated maternal blood IgE level are associated with the cord blood IgE of the child. Maternal age and smoking, neonatal gender, type of delivery, season of birth and parity are probable predictors.

Extensive genetic screening of Iranian Factor FVII-deficient individuals unraveled several novel mutations and postulated founder effects in some cases.

Background: As the most frequent congenital rare bleeding disorder that transmits in an autosomal recessive manner, factor VII (FVII) deficiency is a serious bleeding complication in populations with high rate of in-marriages. While diagnosis mainly relies on clinical and laboratory phenotypes, plasma FVII antigen and activity levels do not often correlate with symptoms' severity. Objectives: Genetic profiling of the affected individuals potentially improves our biological understanding of this complicated rare disorder. Methods: Conventional polymerase chain reaction-Sanger sequencing and whole-exome sequencing were applied for genetic profiling of F7 gene in 66 symptomatic FVII-deficient individuals from 62 independent pedigrees. Thirty-nine asymptomatic relatives of the patients were also studied. Results: Thirty different F7 pathogenic variations were identified in the studied cases of which 11 have not been reported before. The novel mutations include 5 missenses (c.715G>A, c.794T>C, c.1090C>G, c.1222C>A, c.1265T>C), 3 splicing (c.316+1G>T, c.682-2A>G, c.572-16C>G), 2 nonsenses (c.790delC, c.1248G>A), and 1 frameshift (c.1346delA). A founder effect is proposed for c.790delC that was detected in 8 independent pedigrees who were all from similar geographical regions and ethnic backgrounds. Homozygous c.790delC reduces plasma FVII activity to <1% and causes spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage in early infancy. Conclusion: From the 66 studied symptomatic FVII-deficient individuals, 58 were homozygous carriers of the identified variations. Identification of homozygotes clarifies the potential role of nucleotide variations in reducing FVII activity and their contributions to a certain phenotype. Some of those variations, such as c.1A>G, c.509G>A, c.634C>T, and c.1285G>A have only been previously reported as heterozygous.

Monozygotic twin cases of endometriosis with Glanzmann thrombasthenia: a case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) is a rare bleeding disorder with a high prevalence in communities where consanguineous marriages are mainstream. Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, and its risk increases in women with menstrual periods of longer than six days. The phenotypic expression of endometriosis is determined by the frequency and rate of the menstrual flow, as well as genetic and environmental factors. RESULT AND CASE PRESENTATION: 14-year-old monozygotic twin sisters with GT who developed ovarian endometriosis were referred to Hazrat Rasoul Hospital due to severe dysmenorrhea. In ultrasonic examination, endometrioma cysts were reported in both patients. They both went under endometrioma cystectomy, and the bleeding was managed using antifibrinolytic drugs, followed by recombinant activated coagulation factor VII. Both were discharged after 3 days. In the ultrasound examination performed one year after the surgery, ovaries were normal in the first twin, while the second twin had a 28 × 30 hemorrhagic cyst in the left ovary. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Menstrual bleeding and genetic factors are two theories that could be related to GT and endometriosis association, and GT could be considered a risk factor for endometriosis.

Proteomic-Based Discovery of Predictive Biomarkers for Drug Therapy Response and Personalized Medicine in Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia.

Purpose: ITP is the most prevalent autoimmune blood disorder. The lack of predictive biomarkers for therapeutic response is a major challenge for physicians caring of chronic ITP patients. This study is aimed at identifying predictive biomarkers for drug therapy responses. Methods: 2D gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was performed to find differentially expressed proteins. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis was performed to identify protein spots. The Cytoscape software was employed to visualize and analyze the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Then, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to confirm the results of the proteins detected in the blood. The DAVID online software was used to explore the Gene Ontology and pathways involved in the disease. Results: Three proteins, including APOA1, GC, and TF, were identified as hub-bottlenecks and confirmed by ELISA. Enrichment analysis results showed the importance of several biological processes and pathway, such as the PPAR signaling pathway, complement and coagulation cascades, platelet activation, vitamin digestion and absorption, fat digestion and absorption, cell adhesion molecule binding, and receptor binding. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance. Our results indicate that plasma proteins (APOA1, GC, and TF) can be suitable biomarkers for the prognosis of the response to drug therapy in ITP patients.

Targeted chemotherapy in retinoblastoma: A step forward from patient survival to globe survival.

BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVES: Despite being the most common intraocular malignancy in childhood, there is a substantial disparity between developing and developed countries in terms of patient and globe survival in retinoblastoma (Rb). The current study intends to determine patient and globe survival before and after the introduction of the new targeted treatment modalities in a developing country. METHODS: Medical records of 350 patients (516 eyes) with retinoblastoma referred to a tertiary referral center for Rb in Tehran, Iran, were reviewed. In order to compare patient and globe survival before and after the availability of the new treatment modalities, including intra-arterial and intravitreal chemotherapy, the patients were divided into group 1 (2001-2007) and group 2 (2008-2018) based on the calendar period of diagnosis. RESULTS: Two-hundred-twenty-three eyes of 149 patients and 293 eyes of 201 patients were categorized into groups 1 and 2, respectively. The 5-year patient survival was 97% across the current survey, and the overall survival rate was 96% in group 1 and 99% in group 2 (P = 0.08). Overall, 50% of eyes with retinoblastoma underwent enucleation, which was the primary in 63% (116/184) of the unilateral and 30% (99/322) of the bilateral cases. Primary enucleation was significantly lower in group 2 (35%) in contrast to group 1 (50%) (P < 0.001). In addition, globe survival improved significantly in the International Classification of Retinoblastoma Groups D (17% in group 1 vs. 66% in group 2, P < 0.001) and E (1% in group 1 vs. 23% in group 2 P < 0.001) during the two timelines. In enucleated eyes, despite the increased rate of prelaminar involvement in group 2 (13% vs. 2% in group 1, P = 0.003), the rate of high-risk histopathologic findings was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Similar to developed countries, the application of new targeted treatment modalities, including intra-arterial and intravitreal chemotherapy, has been associated with significantly improved globe survival in Rb patients. However, it should be noted that even with the availability of these novel treatment options, the decision for on-time enucleation should not be deferred.

Patient and Physician Perspectives in the Management of Immune Thrombocytopenia in Iran: Responses from the ITP World Impact Survey (I-WISh).

Data describing physicians' and patients' perspectives towards immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) management and impact of disease in Iran are limited. This ITP World Impact Survey was conducted between October 2019 and October 2020. Of the 114 patients included in the survey, 17 were aged ≤18 years. Forty-seven physicians, including 22 pediatric hematologists, participated in the survey. Fatigue and anxiety around stable platelet counts were frequent patient-reported symptoms at diagnosis and at survey completion. According to physicians, "watch-and-wait" was the preferred treatment option for mean (standard deviation) proportion of 50.1 (24.1) and 48.6 (21.8) of their adult and pediatric patients, respectively, following first diagnosis. Per adult and pediatric hematologists, the most prescribed treatments for newly diagnosed patients based on available answers were steroids (100%, n = 20/20; 89%, n = 16/18), respectively. Forty percent of adult (n = 10/25) and 38% of pediatric hematologists (n = 8/21) reported that ITP reduced patients' quality of life. Energy levels (46%, n = 52/112) and ability to concentrate on everyday activities (42%, n = 47/113) were the most affected aspects of patients' lives. This I-WISh study in Iran underlined the negative impact of ITP on patients.

Intra-lesion injection of activated Natural Killer (NK) cells in recurrent malignant brain tumors.

Despite multi-modal therapies for patients with malignant brain tumors, their median survival is < 2 years. Recently, NK cells have provided cancer immune surveillance through their direct natural cytotoxicity and by modulating dendritic cells to enhance the presentation of tumor antigens and regulate T-cell-mediated antitumor responses. However, the success of this treatment modality in brain tumors is unclear. The main reasons are; the brain tumor microenvironment, the NK cell preparations and administration, and the donor selection. Our previous study showed that intracranial injection of activated haploidentical NK cells resulted in the eradication of glioblastoma tumor mass in the animal model without any evidence of tumor recurrence. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the safety of intra-surgical cavity or intra cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Injectionofex vivoactivated haploidentical NK cells in six patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiform (GBM) and malignant brain tumors resistance to chemo/radiotherapy. Our results indicated that activated haploidentical NK cells express activator and inhibitor markers and can kill the tumor cells. However, their cytotoxic potential on patient-derived GBM (PD-GBM) was more than that of its cell line. Also, their infusion increased the overall disease control rate by about 33.3%, with a mean survival of 400 days. Moreover, we showed that local administration of the activated haploidentical NK cells in malignant brain tumors is safe, feasible, tolerated at higher doses, and cost-effective.