Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to represent the number one cause of death and disability in industrialized countries. The most severe form of CVD is acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a devastating disease associated with high mortality and disability. In a substantial proportion of patients who survive AMI, loss of functional cardiomyocytes as a result of ischaemic injury leads to ventricular failure, resulting in significant alteration to quality of life and increased mortality. Therefore, many attempts have been made in recent years to identify new tools for the regeneration of functional cardiomyocytes. Regenerative therapy currently represents the ultimate goal for restoring the function of damaged myocardium by stimulating the regeneration of the infarcted tissue or by providing cells that can generate new myocardial tissue to replace the damaged tissue. Stem cells (SCs) have been proposed as a viable therapy option in these cases. However, despite the great enthusiasm at the beginning of the SC era, justified by promising initial results, this therapy has failed to demonstrate a significant benefit in large clinical trials. One interesting finding of SC studies is that exosomes released by mesenchymal SCs (MSCs) are able to enhance the viability of cardiomyocytes after ischaemia/reperfusion injury, suggesting that the beneficial effects of MSCs in the recovery of functional myocardium could be related to their capacity to secrete exosomes. Ten years ago, it was discovered that exosomes have the unique property of transferring miRNA between cells, acting as miRNA nanocarriers. Therefore, exosome-based therapy has recently been proposed as an emerging tool for cardiac regeneration as an alternative to SC therapy in the post-infarction period. This review aims to discuss the emerging role of exosomes in developing innovative therapies for cardiac regeneration as well as their potential role as candidate biomarkers or for developing new diagnostic tools.

Oxidative stress might contribute to the occurrence of cancers, including the hematological ones. Various genetic polymorphisms were shown to increase the quantity of reactive oxygen species, a phenomenon that is able to induce mutations and thus promote cancers. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the association between CAT C262T, GPX1 Pro198Leu, MnSOD Ala16Val, GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 Ile105Val gene polymorphisms and acute myeloid leukemia risk, in a case-control study comprising 102 patients and 303 controls. No association was observed between AML and variant genotypes of CAT, MnSOD, GSTM1, and GSTT1 polymorphisms. Our data revealed a statistically significant difference regarding the frequencies of GPX1 Pro198Leu and GSTP1 Ile105Val variant genotypes between AML patients and controls (p < 0.001). Our results showed no association in the distribution of any of the CAT C262T, GPX1 Pro198Leu, GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 polymorphisms regarding age, gender, FAB subtype, cytogenetic risk groups, FLT3 and DNMT3 gene mutations, and overall survival. Our data suggests that the presence of variant allele and genotype of GPX1 Pro198Leu and GSTP1 Ile105Val gene polymorphisms may modulate the risk of developing AML.

Background: Nowadays, cytogenetics and molecular genetics, but not only, are mandatory in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) management, as a consequence of their impact on AML pathogenesis, classification, risk-stratification, prognosis and treatment. Objective: The aim of our study was to present our algorithm for the analysis of copy number changes, aneuploidies and somatic mutations focusing on a rare AML case positive for four somatic mutations. Methods: Cytogenetic analysis, Multiplex Ligationdependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) analysis, somatic mutation analysis (for FLT3 ITD, FLT3 D835, DNMT3A R882 and NPM1 c.863_864ins) by using several PCR techniques and also next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis were performed. Results: Cytogenetic analysis did not reveal structural or numerical chromosomal anomalies. The patient’s DNA showed no copy number changes or aberrations (CNAs) following the MLPA analysis. By using several molecular technologies we found four mutations: FLT3-ITD, FLT3 D835 (c.2504A>T, D835V), DNMT3A R882C, and NPM1 c.863_864insTCTG. Challenges, benefits, applications and the limitations of each molecular technique used for the investigation of the mentioned mutation, and not only, are also described. Conclusion: All these techniques can be useful in the diagnosis of AML patients, each of them covering the limits of the other technique. New strategies for a positive, fast, accurate and reliable diagnosis are mandatory in cases with AML.

and low survival rates. 1,2 Chromosomal abnormalities and gene mutations are important prognostic factors in AML, but also in other types of leukemia, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). 3,4 INTRODUCTION Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common acute leukemia in adults, is a heterogeneous, complex, and dynamic disease, characterized by multiple somatically acquired genetic events, progression over time,

This study aimed to explore the associations between the TP53 rs1042522 (TP53 Arg72Pro), MDM2 rs2279744 (MDM2 309T>G), rs3730485 (MDM2 del1518), MDM4 rs4245739 (MDM4 34091 C>A) variants and odds of developing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in a cohort of 809 adult subjects, consisting of 406 healthy controls and 403 AML patients. Model-based multifactor dimensionality reduction (MB-MDR) framework was used to identify the interactions of the mentioned variants and their association with AML risk. Associations of the mentioned variants with clinical features of AML, somatic mutations, and response to treatment were also evaluated. Significant associations between TP53 rs1042522 and MDM4 rs4245739 variants and AML susceptibility were noticed. MB-MDR and logistic regression analysis revealed an interaction between MDM2 rs2279744 and TP53 rs1042522, between MDM4 rs4245739 and MDM2 rs3730485, as well as significant associations with AML susceptibility. Several associations between the mentioned variants and clinical features of AML and somatic mutations were also noticed. Individually, the variant genotypes of TP53 rs1042522 and MDM4 rs4245739 were associated with AML susceptibility, but their interaction with MDM2 rs2279744 and rs3730485 modulated the risk for AML. The variant genotypes of TP53 rs1042522 were associated with adverse molecular and cytogenetic risk and also with NPM1 mutations.

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the associations between MCM7 rs2070215, rs1527423, and rs1534309 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) risk and prognosis. The secondary objectives were to assess if any relationships existed between the mentioned SNPs and FLT3, DNMT3A, NPM1 mutations with clinical outcomes and overall survival (OS) in AML patients. We investigated 281 AML cases and 405 healthy subjects. The results showed a significant association between a variant allele of rs2070215 (p = 0.007), CAT haplotype (p = 0.012), and AML susceptibility. No significant association was found between MCM7 variant genotypes and overall survival of AML patients (p > 0.05), while several associations between somatic mutations, clinical and biological features, and poor OS were noticed. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level ≥ 600 IU/L had a significant effect on the hazard of death (p = 0.004, HR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.13–1.95). Our study showed that the variant allele of rs2070215, in the allelic model, and CAT haplotype were associated with AML susceptibility. The investigated FLT3, DNMT3A, and NPM1 mutations were associated with the clinical and biological features and poor OS. LDH level ≥ 600 IU/L was associated with an increased hazard of death and this association remained significant when quantifying for effect modification by FLT3 mutation status.

Hematological conditions can lead to serious disturbances in blood rheology, being frequently associated with increased systemic inflammation and increased risk of bleeding. The imbalance between coagulation and thrombolytic factors in patients with acute coronary syndromes may lead to undesirable outcomes, and the success of emergency coronary angioplasty or by-pass grafting may be altered by increased bleeding in coagulopathies such as hemophilia. This paper intends to review the present knowledge in the field of acute coronary syndromes in subjects with hematological and onco-hematological disorders such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, von Willebrand disease, hemophilia, polycythemia vera, erythrocyte disorders, myelodysplastic syndrome, leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma.

Stem cell-based therapy is a new therapeutic option that can be used in patients with cardiac diseases caused by myocardial injury. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new noninvasive imaging method with an increasingly widespread indication. The aim of this review was to evaluate the role of cardiac MRI in patients with myocardial infarction undergoing stem cell therapy. We studied the role of MRI in the assessment of myocardial viability, stem cell tracking, assessment of cell survival rate, and monitoring of the long-term effects of stem cell therapy. Based on the current knowledge in this field, this noninvasive, in vivo cardiac imaging technique has a large indication in this group of patients and plays an important role in all stages of stem cell therapy, from the indication to the long-term follow-up of patients.