Cell free fetal DNA in the plasma of pregnant women with preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: Insufficient cytotrophoblast invasion to the myometrium is associated with preeclampsia, especially with the early-onset preeclampsia (before 34 gestational weeks). Several investigations have marked changes in the concentration of cell free fetal DNA in the maternal circulation of women with preeclampsia. However, these studies were not performed for early or late preeclampsia subgroups individually. The present authors planned to determine the levels of the cell free both fetal and maternal DNA in the maternal circulation in early preeclampsia subgroup and compare it with normotensive control cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 16 women; eight of these with preeclampsia and eight normotensive control cohorts with singleton male pregnancy between 28 and 32 gestational weeks were included in the study. Real-time PCR analysis was performed for determining the circulating cell free DNA levels. RESULTS: Cell free fetal DNA concentrations were higher in early preeclamptic women than control subjects. The authors found no statistically significant difference in each levels of maternal and total DNA between hypertensive and normotensive groups. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that the levels of cell free fetal DNA in maternal circulation were higher in pregnancies which are complicated with early preeclampsia than normotensive controls.

Association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T-A1298C polymorphisms with risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma, Barrett's esophagus, and reflux esophagitis.

Incidence of the esophagus adenocarcinoma has been dramatically increasing in Western countries since the last decade. Gastroesophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus are risk factors for adenocarcinoma. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genes play a key role not only in folate metabolism but also in esophagus, stomach, pancreatic carcinoma, and acute leukemias. Studies have suggested that genetic polymorphisms of MTHFR (C677T) may clarify the causes and events involved in esophageal carcinogenesis. In this study, we evaluated MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms, and vitamin B12, folate, and plasma homocystein levels in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), Barrett's esophagus (BE), chronic esophagitis, and healthy controls (n = 26, n = 14, n = 30, and n = 30, respectively). The mean age of patients in the EAC and BE groups was significantly higher compared with the control group (P < 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively). In all patient groups, serum folate levels were significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, and P < 0.01, respectively). There was no statistically significant association between folate levels and MTHFR gene polymorphisms. No differences were found in terms of MTHFR gene polymorphisms, homocystein, and B12 levels among the groups. MTHFR gene polymorphisms and folate deficiency are not predictors of early esophageal carcinoma. However, further studies using larger series of patients are needed to evaluate the effect of genetic polymorphisms in the folate metabolic pathway and to clarify the role of folate deficiency and folate metabolism in the development of esophagus adenocarcinoma.

Molecular alterations in the TP53 gene of peripheral blood cells of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

The TP53 gene has been extensively studied in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), both in chronic phase and in blast crisis. Mutations in the gene were found in up to 30% of the patients, especially among those in blast crisis. We report the results of an analysis of 29 blood samples from CML patients: 8 samples from chronic phase patients, 8 from patients in the accelerated phase, and 13 from patients in blast crisis. By using genomic DNA, we sequenced PCR products of the coding exons and most introns of the TP53 gene, finding genetic changes in 30% of the blast crisis samples and 12% in chronic phase. All mutations were found in introns and were previously unreported. Immunocytochemical studies revealed accumulation of TP53 in blood cells of samples both from chronic phase and blast crisis patients. Since these samples had no TP53 mutations, we believe that wild type TP53 accumulates in blood cells of CML patients. Our results, therefore, indicate that molecular changes in coding regions of the TP53 gene are rare. The significance of the abundance of intronic changes should be investigated further. Accumulation of wild type TP53 in CML cells may indicate an additional mechanism involving this gene in the pathogenesis of this disease.