Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs of ~21 to 23 nucleotides in length that post-transcriptionally regulate mRNA expression. Highthroughput methodologies have shown deregulated miRNA expression in an increasing number of human cancers. MiRNA expression patterns have been found to distinguish tumors of different developmental origin, even better than traditional mRNA expression profiling. Aim: To assess the plasma level of micro-RNA-92a in adult acute myeloid leukemia and to correlate it with prognostic factors and therapeutic response. Patients and Methods: This study was carried out on fifty AML patients as well as fifty healthy subjects as control. Conventional cytogenetics was performed on patients group only while measurement of the plasma level of miRNA-92a using TaqMan quantitative RT-PCR with miRNA-638 as endogenous reference for standardization and FLT3/ITD mutation was performed on patients and controls. Results: The differences in the ratio or relative quantitation (RQ) of plasma miRNa-92a to miRNA-638 in patients group to the control group have confirmed statistical significance. Also there was significant negative correlation between RQ of miRNA-92a and white blood count in patient group. Patients who achieved a response after induction chemotherapy had a mean RQ of miRNA-92a higher than non-responder with statistical significance. With regard to cytogenetics, favorable risk cytogenetics had meant RQ of miRNA-92a that was comparable to intermediate risk cytogenetics. While poor risk cytogenetics had a mean RQ which is significantly lower than both favorable and intermediate risk cytogenetics. Summary/Conclusions: Our data suggest the potential importance of the microRNA-92a as noninvasive cancer biomarkers helping in diagnosis, clinical prediction and therapeutic response.

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Background: Circulating microRNAs are potential biomarkers of diagnostic and prognostic impact in various inflammatory and malignant diseases. Aim: Linking inflammation with malignancy, we studied miRNA-21 in sera of hepatitis-C-virus (HCV) and none hepatitis diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients, aiming to identify its differential expression and prognosis in DLBCL with its subtypes; germinal center B-cell (GCB) and activated B-cell-like (ABC) and to evaluate its relation with HCV. Subjects and Methods: MiRNA-21 expression was measured using TaqMan quantitative RT-PCR in sera of 30 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients (HCV positive (n = 10), HCV negative (n = 20)) and 20 controls (HCV positive (n = 10), HCV negative (n = 10)). Results: MiRNA-21 expression was significantly higher in DLBCL patients than in control (p = 0.00). Significant positive correlations between miRNA-21 and LDH, IPI and disease stage were detected (p < 0.05). Significantly higher miRNA-21 was detected in ABC sub-type compared to GCB sub-type (p = 0.00). Higher miRNA-21 was associated with worse response (p = 0.016), 2 years overall (p = 0.017) and progression free survival with statistical significance (p= 0.003). Significantly higher miRNA-21 levels were detected in HCV positive DLBCL patients compared to HCV negative patients (p = 0.00). Higher miRNA-21 levels were detected in HCV positive ABC subtype than GCB subtype (p = 0.05). Significantly higher levels were also detected in HCV positive controls compared to HCV negative controls. Conclusion: Our study shows that miRNA-21 is over expressed in our patients with DLBCL, displaying higher levels in ABC than in GCB subtypes. MiR-NA-21 is associated with poor response to treatment and survival in DLBCL. MiR-NA-21 is a potential marker of necro-inflammation independent of its role in tumorogenesis, showing higher expression in HCV positive DLBCL patients compared to none hepatitis patients.

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm. The pathogenesis of CML is based on the oncoprotein termed BCR‐ABL1. TET2 initiates DNA demethylation and is frequently mutated in hematological malignancies including CML.(1) The relation between TET2 acquisition and CML transformation and/or imitinab resistance is needed to be investigated. (2) Aim: To evaluate Ten Eleven Translocation 2 gene (TET2) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs2454206, rs34402524, rs61744960) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in relation to the disease prognostic criteria. Materials & Method: The study included 84 subjects; 54 CML in chronic phase and 30 healthy subjects as control group matched for age and sex. Routine investigations including CBC, bone marrow aspiration, biochemical investigations and molecular study were performed in CML patients to identify the disease stage. DNA extraction and SNP assay for TET2 gene polymorphism was done using (Thermo-Fisher predesigned SNP, USA) PCR prism 7500. Results: The mean age was 45.98±15.7 yrs in CML patients and   39.3±6.587 yrs in control group (p>0.05). TET2 SNP rs 34402524 was either heterozygous and homozygous in CML (48%,and 46.2%) but was mainly homozygous among control (80%) group (p=0.012). TET2 SNP rs 2454206 cases within CML (65.4%) and control (63.3%) group had wild patterns (p=0.046). TET2 SNP rs 61744960 showed a homozygous pattern among all groups (CML and control) showing no statistical significance (p=0.528). TET2 SNP in CML cases did not alter the prognostic criteria as no statistical significance was noted (p>0.05) yet, it was significantly related to spleen size in rs 34402524 where homozygous group had huger sizes and higher BCR-ABL1 levels 6 months after starting TKIs (p<0.05). Conclusions/Recommendation: TET2 SNP is a common in Egyptian chronic myeloid leukemia. TET2 SNP rs 3442524 was associated with huger spleen size and higher BCR-ABL1 levels after 6 months of starting TKIs suggesting disease progression.

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