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TNF and IL6 when compared with healthy controls, and the ARG1 expression decreased to control levels. At 6 months, the enhancement of TNF and IL6 was observed in either responders (BCR-ABL1 <1%) or non-responders (≥1%), whereas the decrease of ARG1 expression was similar to control levels just in responders. At both 3 and 6 months of treatment, TNF correlated with IL6 expression only in responders (Spearman: r = 0.48, p = 0.0222; and r = 0.57, p = 0.0168, respectively). Furthermore, the longitudinal analysis between diagnosis and 3 months on therapy, those patients who achieve an EMR showed a statistically significant increase of 3 and 13 folds of TNF and IL6, respectively, and a significant 22-fold decrease of ARG1 (Wilcoxon test: p = 0.0444, p = 0.0038 and p = 0.0094, respectively). Summary/Conclusion: Our results are in agreement with a significant immune suppression in CML patients at diagnosis, mediated by MDSCs and their influence on Tregs; also with a stimulatory effect on the immune system after imatinib initiation, especially in those who responded at 3 months. The dynamic of cytokines and, principally, ARG1 may play a role as an immune biomarker to monitor the response to TKI allowing the differentiation of optimal responders.

Meconium samples were collected from 5 newborn infants, who had a known family history of cystic fibrosis of the pancreas but who did not present with meconium ileus, and 11 normal newborn infants. Extracts of the meconium samples were examined for the presence of serum proteins by paper and immunoelectrophoresis. Three of the infants who had a family history of cystic fibrosis of the pancreas showed protein in their meconium, and this was identified by immunoelectrophoresis as consisting mainly of albumin; each of these babies subsequently developed classic symptoms of cystic fibrosis of the pancreas. The two remaining infants had no albumin in the meconium and did not develop signs of cystic fibrosis. None of the meconium samples of the control group of infants contained detectable amounts of albumin. Possible sources of the abnormal protein content of meconium are discussed, and the suggestion that the finding of albumin in meconium of newborn infants may prove to constitute a valuable diagnostic procedure for screening newborn infants for cystic fibrosis of the pancreas is advanced.

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