Association of hematologic malignancies with hemoglobinopathies

Leukaemia arising in donor cells following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for beta thalassaemia demonstrated by immunological, DNA and molecular cytogenetic analysis

Combined DNA analysis, molecular cytogenetic and immunological techniques have been used to identify the donor origin of common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (cALL) which arose in a male patient with beta thalassaemia major, 5 years after an allogeneic bone marrow transplant from his HLA-matched sister. The necessity of using multiple techniques in this and similar cases is emphasized and the possible mechanisms for the development of donor leukaemia and the leukaemic transformation of donor cells are discussed.

Hemoglobin Villejuif [beta 123(H1) Thr----Ile]: a new variant found in coincidence with polycythemia vera

A new abnormal hemoglobin, Hb Villejuif [beta 123(H1) Thr----Ile] has been discovered during the exploration of a polycythemia in a 87-year-old patient of French origin. The isoelectric focusing of the lysate revealed the presence of a variant hemoglobin with an isoelectric point very close to that of HbA. The oxygen binding properties of the patient's red blood cells being normal, it was clear that the polycythemia was not a consequence of the presence of this hemoglobin. In fact, the red blood cell morphology and the involvement of the other blood cell lines, demonstrating excessive hemopoiesis, led to the diagnosis of polycythemia vera.

Survival and causes of death in thalassaemia major

Survival and causes of death were studied in 1087 Italian patients with thalassaemia major who were born on or after Jan 1, 1960. At the age of 15 years, the Kaplan-Meier estimate of survival after the first decade of life was 80.6% for subjects born in 1960-64, 84.2% for those born in 1965-69, and 96.9% for those born in 1970-74. At the age of 20 years, survival from the age of 10 was 59.1% for patients born in 1960-64, and 70.2% for those born in 1965-69; at 25 years, survival from the age of 10 was 40.7% in the 1960-64 cohort. Overall survival from birth for patients born in 1970-74 was 97.4% at 10 years, and 94.4% at 15 years. The most common cause of death was heart disease, followed by infection, liver disease, and malignancy.