Laboratory recommendations for scoring deep molecular responses following treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia.

Treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors has advanced to a stage where many patients achieve very low or undetectable levels of disease. Remarkably, some of these patients remain in sustained remission when treatment is withdrawn, suggesting that they may be at least operationally cured of their disease. Accurate definition of deep molecular responses (MRs) is therefore increasingly important for optimal patient management and comparison of independent data sets. We previously published proposals for broad standardized definitions of MR at different levels of sensitivity. Here we present detailed laboratory recommendations, developed as part of the European Treatment and Outcome Study for CML (EUTOS), to enable testing laboratories to score MR in a reproducible manner for CML patients expressing the most common BCR-ABL1 variants.

Hereditary Thrombophilia and thrombotic events in pregnancy: single-center experience.

Pregnancy is a normal physiological state that predisposes to thrombosis, determined by hormonal changes in the body. These changes occur in the blood flow (venous stasis), changes in the vascular wall (hypotonia, endothelial lesion) and changes in the coagulation factors (increased levels of factor VII, factor VIII, factor X, von Willebrand factor) and decreased activity levels of natural anticoagulants (protein C, protein S). In this study, we tried to determine a possible association between thrombosis and inherited thrombophilia in pregnant women. This is a retrospective study of 151 pregnant women with a history of complicated pregnancy: maternal thrombosis and placental vascular pathology (intrauterine growth restriction, preeclampsia, recurrent pregnancy loss), who were admitted in our hospital during the period January 2010 to July 2014. We performed genetic analyses to detect the factor V Leiden mutation, the G20210A mutation in the prothrombin gene, the C677T mutation and the A1298C mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene. The risk of thrombosis in patients with factor V Leiden is 2.66 times higher than the patients negative for this mutation (OR 2.66 95% CI 0.96-7.37 P=0.059). We did not find any statistical association with mutations in the MTHFR gene. Pregnant women with a family history of thrombosis present a 2.18-fold higher risk of thrombosis (OR 2.18 CI 0.9-5.26 P=0.085). Of 151 pregnant women, thrombotic events occurred in 24 patients: deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and ischemic stroke. The occurrence of thrombotic events was identified in the last trimester of pregnancy, but especially postpartum. Thrombosis in pregnancy is a redoubtable complication requiring an excellent cooperation between the obstetrician and anesthesiologist.

Prenatal molecular diagnosis of beta-thalassemia: report on the first two cases in Romania.

Thalassaemia major is a classical example of a disease that can be prevented by prenatal diagnosis. In Romania there are currently 300 patients with thalassaemia major under the management of specialized institutions. Prenatal diagnoses of thalassemia have offered a new dimension to the prevention of this disease, but in order to implement prenatal diagnosis, knowledge of mutations and of their incidence is essential. Molecular testing using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) scanning and direct mutation detection with Amplificaton Refractory Mutation System-PCR (ARMS-PCR) and Restriction endonuclease Analysis of PCR fragments (PCR-RFLP) was performed by using amplified DNA from amniotic cells samples, while mutations in the parents were determined in advance. Using our experience in molecular diagnosis, we were able to perform the first prenatal diagnosis for two young couples at risk for thalassaemia major. Foetal samplings were collected by amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling in the second trimester of the pregnancies. Maternal contamination of the foetal DNA was ruled out by STR genotyping. The prenatal diagnosis revealed affected foetuses with homozygous status of beta-thalassemia major. The IVSI-110 (G-A)/IVS II-745 (C-G) genotype in the first case foetus and ed 8 (-AA)/cd 8 (-AA) in the second case foetus were reported. The results of this study point to a successful future prenatal diagnosis of beta-thalassnemia in Romania, using a rapid and accurate molecular method. Together with the implementation of proper preventive health measures and the education of parents regarding their carrier status, we are hoping that this method will be used as the common application approach to decrease the incidence of thalassacmia major.

Scanning of beta-globin gene for identification of beta-thalassemia mutation in Romanian population.

Beta-thalassemia is uncommon (0.5%) in the Romanian population, but it must be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypochromic anemia. The molecular characterization of beta-thalassemia is absolutely necessary for molecular diagnosis, as well as any genetic epidemiological study in this region. Molecular analyses consist of mutation detection by molecular scanning of beta-globin gene. This gene has 3 exons and 2 introns, involved in beta-thalassemic pathogenesis. Clinical application of DNA analysis on beta-thalassemic chromosomes allowed characterization of 29 persons with different beta-thalassemia mutations among 58 patients with anemia. The experimental strategy was based on sequential PCR amplification of most of the beta-globin gene and running on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of amplification products. Definitive characterization of mutations in samples identified with shifted DGGE patterns was performed ARMS-PCR and/or PCR-restriction enzyme analysis methods. Eight different beta-thalassemia alleles were identified, the most common being IVS I-110 (G-A) and cd 39 (C-T). Comparison of overall frequency of mutations in the neighboring countries, shows that these results are in the frame of overall distribution of these mutations in Mediterranean area, especially in Greece and in Bulgaria. Molecular diagnosis is useful for differentiating mild from severe alleles, for genetic counseling, as well as for mutation definition in carriers, identified by hematological analysis necessary for prenatal testing and genetic counseling.