Dicer gene expression as a prognostic factor in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia in pars province

Alterations in the expression of microRNAs [miRNAs] have been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL] and chronic lymphocytic leukemia [CLL]. Dicer is one of the main regulators of miRNA biogenesis, and deregulation of its expression has been indicated as a possible cause of miRNA alterations observed in various cancers. Our aim was to analyze the expression of the Dicer protein and its relationship with ALL and CLL. This cross-sectional study was performed from 2010 to 2012 in Shahid Faghihi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. In this study, 30 patients with CLL, 21 patients with ALL, 10 child healthy donors, and 19 adult healthy donors were recruited. The patients' samples were checked via flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and immunocytochemistry. The controls' samples were also examined in the hematology ward. Total RNA was extracted from the bone marrow and peripheral blood samples of the patients and controls. Then, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to estimate the level of Dicer miRNA. The outcomes of the expression analysis of Dicer revealed statistically significant differences between the ALL patients/child healthy controls [meaniSD, 0.19 +/- 0.28vs. 0.73 +/- 0.12; P<0.001] and the CLL patients/adult healthy controls [mean +/- SD, 0.24 +/- 0.25 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.28; P=0.033]. This is the first piece of evidence showing that the expression of the Dicer gene greatly decreased in the patients with ALL in comparison to the child controls. The expression of the Dicer gene was also downregulated in the patients with CLL compared to the adult controls. Given the above findings, the expression of Dicer may play an important role in the progression and prognosis of these diseases

Cytogenetic findings of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Fars province

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL] is the sixth most common malignancy in Iran. Cytogenetic analysis of leukemic blasts plays an important role in classification and prognosis in ALL patients. The purpose of this study was to define the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities of ALL patients in adults and children in Fars province, Iran

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated karyotype results of bone marrow specimens in 168 Iranian patients with ALL [154 B-ALL and 14 T-ALL] in Fars Province using the conventional cytogenetic G-banding method

Results: The frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities, including numerical and/or structural changes, was 61.7% and 53.8% in the B-ALL and T-ALL patients, respectively. Hyperdiploidy was the most common [32%] cytogenetic abnormality. Among structural abnormalities, the most common was t[9;22] in 11% of the patients. The children showed a higher incidence of hyperdiploidy and lower incidence of t[9;22] than adults [P<0.05]. We found a lower incidence of recurrent abnormalities such as 11q23, t[1;19], and t[12;21] than those reported in previous studies

Conclusion: Normal karyotype was more frequent in our study. The frequencies of some cytogenetic abnormalities such as hyperdiploidy and t[9;22] in our study were comparable to those reported in the literature. The results of this study in Fars Province can be used as baseline information for treatment decision and research purposes in ALL patients. We recommend the use of advanced molecular techniques in the future to better elucidate cryptic cytogenetic abnormalities

Chromosomal abnormality in patients with secondary amenorrhea

Secondary amenorrhea is a condition in which there is cessation of menses after at least one menstruation. It is a symptom of different diseases, such as hormonal disturbances which range from pituitary to ovarian origin, as well as chromosomal abnormalities. Knowledge of the distinct cause of secondary amenorrhea is of tremendous benefit for the management and monitoring of patients. In this study, we determine the chromosomal abnormalities in patients with secondary amenorrhea in Southwest Iran. We selected 94 patients with secondary amenorrhea who referred to our Cytogenetic Ward from 2004 until 2009. For karyotyping, peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures were set up by conventional technique. In this study, 5.3% [n=5] of patients with secondary amenorrhea presented with chromosomal abnormalities, of which all contained an X element. The chromosomal abnormalities were:i]45, X [n=1]; ii]47, XXX [n=1]; iii] 45, X [13]/45, Xi[X]q[17] [n=1]; iv]45, X[12]/46,X,+mar[12] [n=1]; and v] 46,X,del[Xq][q23q28] [n=1]. Our study revealed that some causes of secondary amenorrhea could be due to chromosomal abnormalities. Therefore, cytogenetic studies should be important tests in the evaluation of patients with secondary amenorrhea