Identification of a commonly deleted region at 17p13.3 in leukemia and lymphoma associated with 17p abnormality

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed in 17 myeloid leukemia patients and seven lymphoid leukemia/ lymphoma patients who exhibited chromosomal abnormalities on the short arm of chromosome 17, in order to detect a commonly deleted region on chromosome band 17p13. Twenty-four leukemia/lymphoma patients studied cytogenetically at our institution over a period of 10 years had detectable 17p abnormalities such as translocation (six patients), addition (11 patients) and deletion of 17p13 (seven patients). A 17p abnormality was the only abnormality present in three patients. Most of the patients had additional complex cytogenetic abnormalities. The diagnosis was acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 10 patients, two each with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and the remaining three with malignant lymphoma (ML). Seven cosmid probes (D17S34, cCI17-624, cCI17-453, D17S379, cCI17-636, cCI17-732 and TP53) which mapped on 17p13 were used to analyze the allelic deletion. Eighty percent (19 out of 24) of the informative leukemia patients exhibited allelic loss in 17p13.3 at cC17-624. The smallest region of an overlapping deletion was observed on chromosome band 17p13.3 between cCI17-624 and cCI17-453. Patients with translocation involving 17p also showed deletion at cCI17-624 and cCI17-453. We hypothesize that this region contains a novel tumor suppressor gene(s) that is involved in leukemogenesis.

Seroprevalence of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in Saudi Arabia

During the past 6 years, blood donors at various hospitals and blood banks in Saudi Arabia have been screened by enzyme immuno-assay for antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type I (anti-HTLV-I). Seropositivity for anti-HTLV-I, clearly confirmed by western blot, was only demonstrable in three out of the 34,541 subjects (including at least 21,000 Saudi nationals). The three positives were all expatriates: two Indians and one Syrian. Another six subjects, who gave ambiguous reactions on western blots and may also have been positive, were also all expatriates. Saudi Arabia therefore appears to be a non-endemic area for HTLV-I and hence the current practice of screening all blood donors for anti-HTLV-I does not seem to be cost-effective. An alternative strategy, in which only expatriate blood donors are screened, should perhaps be considered by the Saudi Ministry of Health.

Refracting System for Annular Gaussian-to-Bessel Beam Transformation

A refracting system is designed for transforming an annular Gaussian laser beam into a circular Bessel beam. The slope of the input and output surfaces fitted well with a sixth-order polynomial. The radii of curvature of the resulting aspheric surfaces are found to vary smoothly over the surface. The diffraction-free length for this system is found to be 59.4735 m at 633 nm.

Physiological analysis to quantify training load in badminton

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the training load of specific on court training regimens based on the magnitude of variation of heart rate-lactate response during specific training and to determine the magnitude of variation of biochemical parameters (urea, uric acid, and creatine phosphokinase (CPK)) 12 hours after the specific training programme so as to assess training stress.

METHODS

The study was conducted on six national male badminton players. Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2), ventilation (VE), heart rate, and respiratory quotient were measured by a protocol of graded treadmill exercise. Twelve training sessions and 35 singles matches were analysed. Heart rate and blood lactate were monitored during technical training routines and match play. Fasting blood samples collected on two occasions--that is, during off season and 12 hours after specific training--were analysed for serum urea, uric acid, and CPK.

RESULTS

Analysis of the on court training regimens showed lactate values of 8-10.5 mmol/l in different phases. The percentage of maximum heart rate ranged from 82% to 100%. Urea, uric acid, and CPK activity showed significant changes from (mean (SD)) 4.93 (0.75) mmol/l to 5.49 (0.84) mmol/l, 0.23 (0.04) to 0.33 (0.06) mmol/l, and 312 (211.8) to 363 (216.4) IU/l respectively.

CONCLUSION

Maximum lactate reported in the literature ranges from 3-6 mmol/l. Comparatively high lactate values and high percentage of maximum heart rate found in on court training show a considerable stress on muscular and cardiovascular system. The training load needs appropriate monitoring to avoid over-training. Workouts that are too intensive may interfere with coordination, a factor that is important in sports requiring highly technical skill such as badminton.

Pharmacological evaluation of newly synthesized piperidinium derivatives for their analgesic activity

Two chemically synthesized piperidinium derivatives i.e l-methyl-1-(3,4) dihydroxy phenacyl-4-hydroxy piperidinium chloride and 1-methyl-(4-p) methoxy phenacyl 4-hydroxy piperidinium bromide have been evaluated for their analgesic activity in intact albino mice by tail immersion method because of their structural similarity with opioids. Both the compounds were administered in the doses of 50 mg/kg. The results were compared with pethidine used as the reference drug. The control animal received only the vehicle. The present study suggested that both the compounds exhibit significant analgesic activity.

Detection of residual host cells in sex-mismatched bone marrow transplantation in various hematological diseases by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Thirty-eight sex-mismatched bone marrow transplantation patients with various hematological diseases were followed-up using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Probes specific for various translocations, the X chromosome (DXZ1) and the whole Y chromosome (WCP Y), were used to assess successful engraftment and residual host cells. The combination of translocation and WCP Y probes enabled the identification of host and donor cells in addition to the identification of malignant vs. normal cells in the transplant recipient. Fifteen patients were sequentially followed up. The results obtained using the combination of translocation plus WCP Y probes were more reliable than those with DXZ1 plus WCP Y probes, or the translocation probe alone, especially when the percentage of residual leukemic cells detected by the translocation probe alone was around the cut-off level.

Application of fluorescence in situ hybridization to detect residual leukemic cells with 9;22 and 15;17 translocations

We performed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) upon 9;22 and 15;17 translocation-positive bone marrow cells to monitor the clinical course of 46 patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) and nine with acute promyelocytic leukemia (AML M3) who received chemotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation (BMT). M-BCR-ABL and PML-RAR alpha probes were used to detect translocations of t(9;22) and t(15;17), respectively. Signals from CML patients treated with interferon (17 patients) or BMT (29 patients) were 0.5-15% positive for the 9;22 translocation. Among nine M3 patients who received extensive chemotherapy or BMT, 1-5% were positive for the 15;17 translocation. A highly sensitive FISH procedure using both translocation probes and a whole chromosome Y probe was established and applied to eight sex-mismatched BMT patients (seven CML and one AML M3), in which 0.1-0.6% of signals positive for the specific translocations were detected. These results suggested that interphase FISH is powerful enough to identify minor cell populations of 9;22 or 15;17 translocations after therapy, as well as to detect specific chromosome abnormalities at diagnosis.

Clonal identification of trisomies 3, 5 and X in angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Trisomies 3, 5 and X in six Japanese patients with AILD were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Trisomies 3 and X were detected using centromeric probes. Cosmid probes locating on 5q31.1, the commonly deleted region, was used to detect trisomy 5. FISH detected three patients with trisomy 3 alone, one with trisomy 5 alone and one with all the three trisomies analysed. The sample that showed all three aberrations was further analysed by dual color FISH. The three trisomies were present on different cells. The AILD cells with trisomy 5 tended to replicate slowly, whereas those with trisomy 3 seem to have a proliferative advantage. An increase in the histopathological stage was reflected in the increase in the percentage of trisomy 3 cells in one patient.

Frequent jumping translocations of chromosomal segments involving the ABL oncogene alone or in combination with CD3-MLL genes in secondary leukemias

Seven secondary leukemia patients were treated for solid tumors or malignant lymphoma with anticancer drugs or radiation. We studied bone marrow samples from these patients by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Of the seven patients, three had increased signals for the ABL oncogene (9q34) on interphase nuclei and at metaphase. One of the three patients also had four signals for the CD3 (MLL) region (11q23). Whole painting probes revealed that these chromosomal regions were translocated onto structurally abnormal chromosomes, resulting in partial tri-, tetra- or penta-somy of these regions. We called this type of translocation "segmental jumping translocation (SJT)." SJT of the ABL oncogene was not detected in samples from 15 patients with de novo acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), 12 with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), or 20 with chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) at the chronic phase. Furthermore, monosomy 7 was also found in the patients with the gene amplification. These results indicate that SJT of ABL and/or CD3 (MLL) genes is associated with the leukemogenesis of secondary leukemia. The SJT may be one mechanism of gene amplification.

Possible aetiological role of hepatitis E virus in acute non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis in Saudi Arabia

During a period of 10 months, 69 Saudi Arabian patients (14 children and 55 adults) were diagnosed as having acute non-A, non-B, non-C (NA, B, C) hepatitis at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Seven of the paediatric patients had anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) immunoglobulin (Ig) M and anti-HEV IgG; 26 adults (47.3%) had anti-HEV IgM and 30 (54.5%) had anti-HEV IgG. These results, together with the fact that none of the 40 patients with acute hepatitis A virus infection, none of the 24 with hepatitis B virus, and none of the 30 with acute hepatitis C virus, had anti-HEV IgM, indicates that HEV is an important aetiological agent for acute NA, B, C hepatitis in Saudi Arabia, and that there are still other unidentified agent(s) responsible for acute hepatitis in Saudi Arabia.

Hidden monosomy 7 in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome detected by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization

Fifty patients [25 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 25 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)], without monosomy 7 according to conventional cytogenetics, were re-examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Eleven (44.0%) patients with AML and nine (36.0%) with MDS showed hidden monosomy 7. Two samples who had both monosomy 7 and iso chromosome 17 were analyzed by dual color FISH to identify their clonal origin, and showed that these two abnormalities can occur together or independently. Only one of 16 MDS patients without monosomy 7 transformed into AML whereas four of eight MDS patients with the hidden monosomy 7 transformed into AML, suggesting patients with this abnormality are more likely to undergo transformation to AML.

Cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies on Indian patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

This is the first cytogenetic and molecular genetic study to find any specific genetic abnormalities in Indian patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Cytogenetic studies on 18 patients indicated that their karyotypes were relatively simple and trisomy 12 was seen on karyotype evolution in one patient. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed abnormal clones of trisomy 12 in nine cases and RB gene deletion in 14 of the 29 cases analyzed. Three patients had both clones. Immunoglobulin genes were rearranged in all the cases and TCR beta in none of the 18 cases Southern blotted. BCL-1 was rearranged in one case. No rearrangement of BCL-2 gene was seen in any case. Genetic changes in Indian CLL were more similar to Western CLL than to Japanese CLL, even though India is supposed to be a low incidence area. Therefore, factors (such as HLA and other genetic markers) other than these routine parameters must be studied to explain the low incidence of CLL in India.

Enterically transmitted hepatitis in Saudi Arabia: an epidemiological study

Rates of exposure to two, enterically transmitted viruses, hepatitis E virus (HEV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), were investigated among the populations of two areas of Saudi Arabia: Gizan (a rural area) and Riyadh (an urban area, with relatively good sanitation). In Riyadh, 24.7% and 1.2% of children were seropositive for HAV and HEV, respectively, by the age of 12 years. There was a sharp increase in exposure to HAV between 13 and 20 years of age (to 63.5%) and most (80.0%) of the subjects aged 50 years had apparently been exposed to HAV. Although seropositivity to HEV also increased with subject age, it only reached 18.8% (in subjects aged > 50 years). The age-specific patterns of exposure to HAV and HEV in Gizan were similar to those in Riyadh but the rates of exposure were generally higher; mean rates of exposure to HAV and HEV were 76.3% and 14.9% in Gizan and 61.3% and 8.37% in Riyadh, respectively. That rates of exposure to HEV in Gizan were almost twice those in Riyadh emphasizes the importance of sanitation as an effective measure in controlling the spread of HEV in developing countries.

Risk of hepatitis C virus infection among household contacts of Saudi patients with chronic liver disease

To evaluate the intrafamilial transmission of hepatitis C virus and related risk factors among the Saudi population, two groups were investigated: 1) 20 index patients with chronic liver disease and their 127 family contacts, and 2) 20 blood donors who were anti-HCV-positive but with no chronic liver disease and their 91 family contacts. After a questionnaire on the risk factors for parenteral exposure, blood samples were obtained and tested for liver biochemistry and antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) by a third-generation enzyme immunoassay (UBI HCV EIA4.0). Only two spouses of 20 index patients were anti-HCV-positive while the remaining 125 family contacts were anti-HCV-negative. None of the 91 family contacts of the 20 anti-HCV-positive blood donors was anti-HCV-positive. The two spouses were wives of index patients but had a history of blood transfusion on at least two different occasions. Our results clearly indicate the intrafamilial transmission of HCV is not the route of transmission of HCV among Saudis and our results argue against sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus despite a relatively long duration of marriage.

Survival and Plant Growth Promotion of Detergent-Adapted Pseudomonas fluorescens ANP15 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7NSK2

Four detergents were tested as selective C sources for the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7NSK2 and Pseudomonas fluorescens ANP15. CO-720 (Igepal CO-720) or DOS (dioctyl sulfosuccinate), applied at 0.2% to the soil, increased the number of detergent-adapted, inoculated strains by almost 1.5 log units after 25 days, accounting for virtually the entire increase in total bacteria. The same dose of Tween 80 or N-laurylsarcosine, on the other hand, increased the indigenous populations by almost 2.5 log units, with only minor increases in the number of detergent-adapted inoculated strains. When CO-720 or DOS was initially supplied, the number of detergent-adapted 7NSK2 organisms was about 2 log units higher after 3 months of incubation than for the detergent-unadapted strain. This better survival resulted in a significantly higher root colonization of maize in a pot experiment with soil inoculation, with a significantly (P <= 0.05) higher shoot dry weight (18 to 33%). In a first field experiment with rhizosphere inoculation of 1-month-old maize plants, no effects on the height of two maize cultivars could be observed 1 month after inoculation. In a second field experiment, leaf and stem dry weights of yellow mustard and grass dry weight were increased in the treatments with seed and soil inoculation of the detergent-adapted 7NSK2 in combination with CO-720 application by, respectively, 7 to 8%, 19 to 23%, and 20 to 31%, although only the increases in grass dry weight were statistically significant at P <= 0.1. To some extent, 7NSK2 and DOS application also positively affected the mineral content of yellow mustard.

Independent clones of trisomy 12 and retinoblastoma gene deletion in Japanese B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Trisomy 12 and a deletion of chromosome 13 are the most common chromosome abnormalities in patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). We determined the frequencies of these abnormalities in Japanese B-CLL patients by FISH in interphase nuclei. Specimens from 42 patients were analyzed using both DNA probes specific to the centromeric region of chromosome 12 and the retinoblastoma (RB) gene. Among 42 patients, eight had trisomy 12 and 12 had the RB gene deletion. We found aberrations of trisomy 12 and the RB gene deletion in a totally different group of patients. This suggested that the trisomy 12 and the RB gene deletion occur in different clones and the presence of which in the same patient may be rare. Furthermore, the frequency of trisomy 12 (19%) found in Japanese B-CLL was lower than that in Western countries (30-35%). On the contrary, the frequency of the RB gene deletion (28.6%) was almost the same as in European B-CLL (30-35%). These results will be helpful in understanding the leukemogenesis of B-CLL.

Profile of hepatitis C virus and the possible modes of transmission of the virus in the Gizan area of Saudi Arabia: a community-based study

The seroprevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and the possible modes of transmission of HCV were investigated in Gizan, southern Saudi Arabia. The sample size chosen to give an adequate estimate of the seroprevalence, about 1500, was based on the assumption that 5% of the population in Gizan were anti-HCV-positive. Sera from 1482 subjects (705 males, 777 females; aged > or = 10 years) were initially screened for anti-HCV using a commercial, ubiquitin-based enzyme immunoassay. Repeatedly reactive sera were confirmed positive using second-generation immunoassays. Serum samples were also tested by ELISA for hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) and antibodies to this antigen and to the hepatitis B core antigen. Of the subjects tested, 27 (1.8%) were anti-HCV-positive. Exposure to HCV was generally similar in both sexes, age-prevalence curves for anti-HCV peaking in males aged > 49 years (6.2%) and in females aged 40-49 years (5.0%). In the youngest subjects, those aged 10-19 years, the HbsAg carrier rate was significantly higher in males (10.4%) than in females (3.6%). Exposure to the hepatitis B virus was similar in both sexes (31.0% in males v. 28.6% in females). Some 7.4% and 14.8% of the 27 anti-HCV-positive cases had histories of schistosomiasis and blood transfusion, respectively. The corresponding values for the 1455 anti-HCV-negative cases investigated, 1.1% for schistosomiasis and 3.5% for blood transfusion, were much lower. The spouses and other family members of eight anti-HCV-positive index cases were investigated but none was anti-HCV-positive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Reduction in the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis A virus among young Saudi adults: implications for hepatitis A vaccine

Viral etiology was investigated in 133 Saudi patients with acute hepatitis seen in King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh. between July 1993-May 1994. Out of the 133 patients, 51 (38.3%) were diagnosed as having acute hepatitis due to hepatitis A virus (HAV). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was the second most common etiological agent (20.3%). There were 35 patients with acute hepatitis (26.3%) in whom no viral marker for HAV, HBV, HCV, CMV or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was detected. Among the 51 patients with acute hepatitis due to HAV, the majority (88.2%) were children (1-12 years) and only 6 (11.8%) were adults (15-24 years). This is in contrast to patients with HCV or HBV infection where the majority were adults: 74.1% and 82.3% respectively. The diagnosis of acute hepatitis due to HAV in Saudi adults, an observation not seen earlier, indicated a change in the epidemiological pattern of HAV infection in the Saudi population. This change was confirmed by the significant reduction in the prevalence of anti-HAV in 630 Saudi subjects (1-30 years old) (50.2%) investigated in 1994 compared to that of 587 subjects of the same age group investigated in 1986 (76.5%) (P < 0.005). In the light of these results, a nation-wide survey is recommended to confirm this pattern in other areas. It is important that high-risk Saudi groups be identified and evaluated for their anti-HAV status as these groups are candidates for HAV vaccination.

High prevalence of and risk factors for hepatitis C in haemodialysis patients in Saudi Arabia: a need for new dialysis strategies

Non-A, non-B is a major form of hepatitis in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been recently identified as the leading cause of non-A, non-B hepatitis in HD. A variable prevalence of hepatitis in HD has appeared in the literature, ranging between 1% and 29% in the Western world, and between 30% and 54% in Saudi Arabia, but all these reports used first-generation ELISA. Using second-generation enzyme immunoassay, we conducted a multi-centre study involving 22 HD centres all over Saudi Arabia in order to establish the prevalence and risk factors for HCV in HD patients in Saudi Arabia. A total of 1147 patients were studied, with a mean age of 43.4 +/- 15.3 years. Five hundred and eighty were males and 567 were females. The overall prevalence rate of positive anti-HCV was 68%, with a range from as low as 14.5%, to 94.7%. To our knowledge, this is the highest value reported among dialysis patients world-wide. A positive correlation was found between anti-HCV positivity and male sex (P = 0.005), longer duration on dialysis (P = 0.002) and blood transfusion (P = 0.003). However, interestingly 62.6% of the patients who had not had blood transfusion had anti-HCV antibodies. HCV antibodies were also found more frequently in Egyptians, Pakistanis and Yemenis than in Saudis. A comparison between those centres with low prevalence of positive HCV and those with high prevalence regarding risk factors was carried out, and it was found that the major difference between them was the adherence of the staff to universal infection precautions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Prevalence of hepatitis C antibodies among hemodialysis patients in the Western province of saudi arabia

We studied 408 patients on maintenance hemodialysis at four different centers in the Western province of Saudi Arabia to assess the prevalence of antibody against Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and the possible risk factors. There were 212 males and 196 females with a mean age of 42.9 +/- 13.9 years (range 12 to 75 years). They were on dialysis for a period between 3 to 140 months with a mean of 52.2 + 38 months. Assay for anti-HCV was made by second generation ELISA. A total of 295 patients (72.3%) tested positive. The prevalence rates varied considerably among the four centers studied and were as follows: the center at Jeddah, 62.7%; two centers at Makkah, 87% and 79.7% respectively and one center at Taif, 80.9%. A total of 311 patients had received varying number of blood transfusions. Of these, 230 (74%) were anti-HCV positive as against 97 patients who were never transfused of whom 65 (67%) were positive. This difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.22). Similarly, we found no significant correlation between the anti-HCV prevalence rates and serum alanine transaminase levels (P = 0.93). Our study further confirms that there are routes other than blood transfusion involved in the transmission of the HCV and there is a need to determine these routes in order to prevent the spread of this virus.