The functional capacity of C5 variants with mutations at Arg885, together with their failure to undergo blockade by eculizumab, account for the poor response to this agent in patients who carry these mutations. (Funded by Alexion Pharmaceuticals and the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan.).

Reactivation of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients undergoing chemotherapy is well-documented, but reactivation during imatinib mesylate treatment has not been reported. This study reports a 54-year-old man, without prior liver dysfunction but with chronic HBV infection, in whom fatal HBV reactivation occurred during treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with imatinib mesylate. He developed fulminant hepatitis followed by marked elevation of HBV DNA polymerase, probably from the lymphocytopenic and immunosuppressive status induced by imatinib mesylate. Imatinib mesylate is widely used to treat CML patients. Although therapy with imatinib mesylate is generally well tolerated, the case presented here suggests that viral reactivation should be considered, even when using imatinib mesylate to treat CML.

Excess risk of leukemia and brain tumors after CT scans in children has been reported. We performed dicentric chromosome assay (DCAs) before and after CT scan to assess effects of low-dose ionizing radiation on chromosomes. Peripheral blood (PB) lymphocytes were collected from 10 patients before and after a CT scan. DCA was performed by analyzing either 1,000 or 2,000 metaphases using both Giemsa staining and centromere-fluorescence in situ hybridization (Centromere-FISH). The increment of DIC formation was compared with effective radiation dose calculated using the computational dosimetry system, WAZA-ARI and dose length product (DLP) in a CT scan. Dicentric chromosome (DIC) formation increased significantly after a single CT scan, and increased DIC formation was found in all patients. A good correlation between the increment of DIC formation determined by analysis of 2,000 metaphases using Giemsa staining and those by 2,000 metaphases using Centromere-FISH was observed. However, no correlation was observed between the increment of DIC formation and the effective radiation dose. Therefore, these results suggest that chromosome cleavage may be induced by one CT scan, and we recommend 2,000 or more metaphases be analyzed in Giemsa staining or Centromere-FISH for DCAs in cases of low-dose radiation exposure.

SummaryOverexpression of high mobility group AT-hook 2 (Hmga2), which is negatively regulated by MIRLET7 micro RNAs through 3 0 -untranslated region

The automated program of the Amicus may be better than that of the Spectra for collecting MNCs and CD34+ PBPCs and avoiding apheresis-induced thrombocytopenia.