Key Points Question Are the effects of oral iron supplements alone equivalent to a regimen of oral iron supplements plus vitamin C in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia? Findings In this randomized clinical trial that included 440 adults with iron deficiency anemia, the mean change in hemoglobin level after 2 weeks was 2.00 g/dL in the oral iron supplements plus vitamin C group, compared with 1.84 g/dL in the oral iron supplements–only group. This difference met prespecified criteria for equivalence. Meaning The use of oral iron supplements alone is comparable to a regimen of vitamin C supplemented with oral iron for patients with iron deficiency anemia.

Highlights d HSPCs exhibit post-transcriptional and translational mechanisms of gene regulation d mTOR is targeted for proteasomal degradation in myeloid progenitors by c-Cbl d CDK1 regulates the activation of eIF4E-dependent translation in myeloid progenitors d Aberrant mTOR expression in myeloid progenitors results in increased myeloid cells

In our previous study, the 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (ABAT) gene was screened and selected as a target gene that may affect the prognosis of myelo-dysplastic syndrome (MDS). The present study aimed to determine the prognostic value of ABAT in 152 patients with MDS, 29 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 40 controls, by detecting the expression and methylation levels of the ABAT gene. In patients with MDS, the expression levels of ABAT were significantly reduced compared with in the controls (P<0.0001), and the degree of DNA methylation was increased in MDS subjects (P<0.0001). Age, hemoglobin level, marrow blasts, International Prognostic Scoring System karyotype, and the expression and methylation levels of ABAT were associated with overall survival (OS), as determined by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that older age, higher marrow blasts and higher methylation percentage were independent risk factors for OS. In addition, a functional study demonstrated that ABAT gene silencing increased cell apoptosis and blocked the G1/S phase in SKM-1 and THP-1 human leukemia cells. A γ-aminobutyrate aminotransferase inhibitor also blocked the G1/S phase; however, it had no effect on cell apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that ABAT methylation served an essential role in the progression of MDS and therefore may be considered an indicator of poor prognosis for hematological malignancies.