Three-way Translocation of MLL/MLLT3, t(1;9;11)(p34.2;p22;q23), in a Pediatric Case of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The chromosome band 11q23 is a common target region of chromosomal translocation in different types of leukemia, including infantile leukemia and therapy-related leukemia. The target gene at 11q23, MLL, is disrupted by the translocation and becomes fused to various translocation partners. We report a case of AML with a rare 3-way translocation involving chromosomes 1, 9, and 11: t(1;9;11)(p34.2;p22;q23). A 3-yr-old Korean girl presented with a 5-day history of fever. A diagnosis of AML was made on the basis of the morphological evaluation and immunophenotyping of bone marrow specimens. Flow cytometric immunophenotyping showed blasts positive for myeloid lineage markers and aberrant CD19 expression. Karyotypic analysis showed 46,XX,t(1;9;11)(p34.2;p22;q23) in 19 of the 20 cells analyzed. This abnormality was involved in MLL/MLLT3 rearrangement, which was confirmed by qualitative multiplex reverse transcription-PCR and interphase FISH. She achieved morphological and cytogenetic remission after 1 month of chemotherapy and remained event-free for 6 months. Four cases of t(1;9;11)(v;p22;q23) have been reported previously in a series that included cases with other 11q23 abnormalities, making it difficult to determine the distinctive clinical features associated with this abnormality. To our knowledge, this is the first description of t(1;9;11) with clinical and laboratory data, including the data for the involved genes, MLL/MLLT3

Association of balance impairment with risk of incident cardiovascular diseases among older adults

Background Rapid decline in balance is a hallmark of aging, elevating the risk of falls and other age-related geriatric illnesses among older adults. Objective Our aim was to assess whether impairment in balance function is associated with the risk of incident CVD in older adults. Design Retrospective cohort analysis. Participants A total of 129,024 participants who had undergone health screening between 2002 and 2009 were derived from the National Health Insurance Service-Senior cohort. Main measures Balance impairment was evaluated using the open-eyes one-leg standing (OLS) test. The association between balance impairment and incident CVD was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. All participants were followed up with until either the date of the first incident of CVD, death, or 31 December 2019. Key results Those with abnormal balance function (< 10 s in OLS test) had a higher risk of CVD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.23, CI 1.16–1.31). The association was significant in both the obese and the non-obese, but it seemed to be more pronounced in the latter. Results were supported by sensitivity analyses that did not include cases of CVD development in the first 1, 2, or 3 years and that used a different criterion to define balance dysfunction (< 9 s in OLS test). Conclusions Older adults with balance impairment were found to have an increased risk of incident CVD. Patients with impaired balance function may be a high-risk population who require preventive managements against CVD

Distributional Characteristics of Plants in Hajo Island of Jeollanam-do, South Korea

AbstractThis study investigated the plant distribution in Hajo Island, Jodo-myeon, Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea. The surveyed plants were recorded as total 483 taxa, 100 families, 298 genera, 427 species, 1 subspecies, 52 varieties, and 3 forms. Total 1,360 pieces were obtained as evidential specimen. Through floristic survey and collection in Hajo Island, Jodo-myeon, Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do, 1,360 items of specimen were obtained. Based on the specimen, the flora in Hajo Island included total 483 taxa, 100 families, 298 genera, 427 species, 1 subspecies, 52 varieties, and 3 forms. The investigation was carried out based on mountains (Mt. Dondae-bong, Mt. Songarak, and Mt. Singeum), reservoirs (Jodo reservoir, Yukdong reservoir), Hajodo lighthouse, and Jodo bridge. In particular, rare plants designated by Korea Forest Service were recorded as 12 taxa such as Glochidion chodoense, Crypsinus hastatus, Celtis choseniana, Ardisia crenata, Millettia japonica, etc. Endemic plants were recorded as 3 taxa such as Hepatica insularis, etc. Special plants over 3rd degree designated by the Ministry of Environment were recorded as 31 taxa such as Litsea japonica, Kadsura japonica, Raphiolepis indica var. umbellata, Verbena officinalis, Stauntonia hexaphylla, etc. Naturalized plants were recorded as 31 taxa, accounting for 6.4% of the total, such as Physalis angulata, Aster subulatus, Euphorbia supina, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Bromus unioloides, etc

Changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with risk of Cardiovascular Disease among initially high-density lipoprotein-high participants

Background High-density lipoprotein cholesterols (HDL-C) long-held status as a cardiovascular disease (CVD) preventative has been called into question. Most of the evidence, however, focused on either the risk of death from CVD, or on single time point level of HDL-C. This study aimed to determine the association between changes in HDL-C levels and incident CVD in individuals with high baseline HDL-C levels (≥ 60mg/dL). Methods 77,134 people from the Korea National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort were followed for 517,515 person-years. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association between change in HDL-C levels and the risk of incident CVD. All participants were followed up until 31 December 2019, CVD, or death. Results Participants with the greatest increase in their HDL-C levels had higher risks of CVD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.25) and CHD (aHR 1.27, CI 1.11–1.46) after adjusting for age, sex, household income, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, smoking, alcohol consumption, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, Charlson comorbidity index, and total cholesterol than those with the lowest increase in HDL-C levels. Such association remained significant even among participants with decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels for CHD (aHR 1.26, CI 1.03–1.53). Conclusions In people with already high HDL-C levels, additional increases in HDL-C levels may be associated with an increased risk of CVD. This finding held true irrespective of the change in their LDL-C levels. Increasing HDL-C levels may lead to unintentionally elevated risk of CVD.This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (Grant number: 2021R1F1A1063346)