Background: miRNA 223 /125a and Cordon-bleu Protein Like 1 (COBLL1) are novel biomarkers that can predict prognosis and guide treatment decisions in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Also, there is a growing interest in CLL monitoring based on flow cytometry of receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor-1 (ROR-1).Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between miRNA 223 /125a and COBLL1 expressions and ROR-1 expression in patients with CLL. Also, the study evaluated the relationship between the expression of these biomarkers with tumor staging and cancer progression. Methods: Our study included 40 patients newly diagnosed with B-CLL. In peripheral blood (PB), miRNA 223/125a and COBLL1 expressions were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) and ROR-1 percentage was detected by flow cytometry before and after treatment. Results: High level of COBLL1 expression was statistically significantly associated with high ROR-1 percentage expression (P= 0.03). However, a high level of miRNA 223/125a expression was statistically significantly associated with low ROR-1 percentage expression (P=0.002). The sensitivity and specificity of ROR-1 as a predictor of high WBCs count after treatment were 96.6 and 81.1%, respectively. There was a statistically significant reduction of ROR-1 percentage after treatment compared to before treatment (P <0.001). Conclusion: ROR-1 percentage expression can be considered a possible prognostic predictor in CLL along with miRNA 223/125a and COBLL1 expressions. This can be explained by the significant correlation between ROR-1 and the studied molecular biomarkers; miRNA 223/125a and COBLL1. In addition, there was a significantly higher ROR-1 percentage in patients with higher WBC counts. Moreover, there was a significant reduction in ROR-1 percentage after treatment.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an illness caused by a novel coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2; formerly known as 2019-nCov), which was initially detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, during an outbreak of respiratory illness cases. 1 A full blood count (FBC) is routinely ordered for many conditions. This procedure is usually done with automated haematology analysers. Modern diagnostic application to quantify platelet (PLT) indices includes different techniques such as impedance counting or optical light scatter counting techniques. 2 The PLTs in the circulation play an important role in haemostasis and thrombosis, and they also play a role in

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may lead to immunosuppression, leaving patients vulnerable to secondary invasive fungal infection like mucormycosis. The present study aimed to determine whether there are any risk factors associated with mortality in mucormycosis among COVID-19 patients. Patients and Methods: Patients with COVID-19 diagnosed with mucormycosis who received treatment at University Hospitals were included in the study. Complete blood count (CBC), glycated hemoglobin (HBA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum albumin level, creatinine, ferritin levels, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), D-dimer and histopathological observations were performed for all participants’ specimens. Results: The number (N) of patients included in the study was 46. About 85 % (39/46) of patients had post-COVID-19 syndrome and the other 7 cases were in the active phase of the disease. CRP, serum ferritin, D-dimer, CRP/albumin ratio and CRP/absolute lymphocyte counts were statistically significant (P<0.05) within non-survivors as compared to survivors. After analysis of multivariate analysis that patients had oxygen support, while elevated CRP/albumin ratios were independent predictors of mortality in COVID-19 patients associated with mucormycosis. Conclusions: Mucormycosis can be caused by immunosuppression conditions associated with COVID-19 infection. Oxygen levels and C-reactive protein/albumin are independent predictors of mortality and morbidity in post COVID-19 patients.

Background: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in iodine-sufficient areas of the world.The pathophysiology of HT is contributed to a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Objective: We aimed in the current study to investigate the relative expression level of hsa_circ_0007777 in patients with or without HT and to assess their associations with thyroid dysfunction. Patients and Methods: A case-control study included 70 patients with HT and 70 healthy control subjects.Antithyroglobulin (anti-TG), anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) were measured. Real-Time Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses were used to detect the relative expression levels of hsa_circ_0007777. Results: Hsa_circ_0007777 relative expression level was up regulated in patients with HT in particular patients with clinical hypothyroidism (CHT) and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCHT) compared to the euthyroid group. Andit was correlated positively with TSH, anti-TPO, and anti-TG. Moreover, linear regression analyses test revealed that in HT patients the main independent variables associated with hsa_circ_0007777 relative expression level were anti-TPO and anti-TG. Conclusion:The relative expression levels of hsa_circ_0007777 were significantly increased in patients with HT more specifically in patients with clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism.

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Background: Ly-9 (CD229) and SLAMF7 (CD319) are more stable markers that could be used to replace the less stable conventional markers CD138 and CD38 in multiple myeloma (MM) patient follow-up. In those patients, the correlation between these markers and the histopathologic marker c-Maf has not been well investigated. Objective: To assess the predictive value of CD229, CD319, and c-MAF overexpression on outcome of treatment in MM patients. Patients and Methods: 61 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients were involved in this prospective study. Flow cytometric analysis of bone marrow (BM) samples for CD229 PE, CD319 PE, CD138 PerCP and CD38FITC as well as BM biopsy immunohistochemically were analyzed for c-Maf expression Results: CD229 and CD319 were highly expressed in (≥93.95%) and (≥95.6%) of MM patients respectively. c-Maf was positive in (29.5%) of patients. In MM patients with high expression of CD229 and CD319 as well as those with c-Maf positivity showed high serum Ca ++ , β2M, CD138 and CD38. CD229 was significantly correlated with CD319, CD38, CD138, β2M and serum Ca (p-values were< 0.001,0.01, 0.01, 0.009, and 0.02 respectively). Patients with overexpression of CD 229, CD319 and c-Maf were more refractory to treatment (p-values were <0.001,<0.001 and <0.001 respectively). Conclusion:We detected that both CD229 and CD319 were significantly overexpressed on MM cells and correlated significantly with CD138 and CD38, suggesting their use as alternative markers for MM diagnosis as well as followup. Patients with CD229,CD319, and c-Maf overexpression were associated with a significant poor response to therapy.

Background: Leukemias are a diverse collection of neoplastic illnesses with distinct morphological, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, and molecular characteristics of malignant cells. C-reactive protein (CRP) testing is traditionally used to assess the degree of infection, diagnosis of sepsis as well as the response to antimicrobial treatment. In the absence of iron overload, cancer patients have a higher level of serum ferritin. CRP and serum ferritin (SF) are inflammatory indicators that can predict the presence of systemic illness. Objective: Our study aimed to estimate the role of serum ferritin and CRP in the early detection of systemic infection and the prognostic value of these markers in denovo adult patients receiving chemotherapy for acute leukemia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in the period from February 2016 to February 2017 in the Clinical Hematology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, and included 30 denovo adult patients who were diagnosed with acute leukemia; 14 of them were females and 16 were males. Results: After a median follow-up period of 1 year with a range (1.1-11.2) months; there was a statistically significant cumulative overall survival in younger, non-hyperferritinemia, non-septic patients, and in whom responded to therapy (p=0.02, 0.02 and 0.03 respectively). Furthermore, there was no statistically significant correlation of OS with CRP or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Hyperferritinemia (>150) and elevated CRP (>33) were independable risk factors predicting sepsis (P=0.007 and 0.016 respectively) by using a Multivariate logistic regression model. Conclusion: Modest elevation of the blood level of CRP and ferritin above the normal range showed an association with the probability of systemic infection in patients who underwent dose-intensive induction chemotherapy even in absence of clinical evidence of sepsis.