Asian American Immigrants: A Comparison of the Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos

An historical overview of the immigration of the three most populous Asian American groups in the United States is presented. The immigrant experiences of the Chinese, Filipinos, and Japanese are compared, and the implications of their experiences for current and future immigration/ resettlement programs and policies are discussed

Multiple Autoimmune Propensity and B-Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Cause or Effect?

We report a case of multiple autoimmunity consisting of the presence of autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA), antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs), and antiphospholipid antibodies (APLAbs) as the presenting manifestations of an extrahepatic B-non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) in a 63-year-old woman. The patient presented with fatigue attributed to severe AIHA. Due to increased serum IgM and γ-GT levels, an investigation for AMA was performed, which proved positive with anti-M2 specificity. A prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) led to the determination of APLAbs (lupus anticoagulant and other APLAbs) which were also positive. Bone marrow biopsy in combination with immmunohistochemical studies established the diagnosis of lymphoplasmacytic B-NHL. Ten months later, B-NHL was in remission while AMA and APLAbs were still positive. In conclusion, we documented the coexistence of multiple autoimmune reactions together with B-NHL highlighting the possible common pathogenetic pathways of the two entities

Successful Control of Acute Myelofibrosis with Lenalidomide

Acute panmyelosis with myelofibrosis (APMF) is a rare, fatal hematological neoplasm that is characterized by the acute onset of cytopenias and fibrosis in the bone marrow in the absence of splenomegaly or fibrosis-related morphological changes in the RBCs. We present the case of a 59-year-old female who presented with a two-month history of anemia, leucopenia and a normal platelet count. The marrow was heavily fibrotic, and no aspirate material could be obtained; the biopsy showed extensive infiltration with small to medium size megakaryocytes, dysplastic changes in the erythroid compartment, and left shift in the myeloid cells. The patient was treated for four months with anabolic steroids (Danazol), growth factors and received regular blood transfusions. At 4 months after diagnosis, the patient was started on Lenalidomide, 10 mg/day for a 21-d-course along with growth factor support. At 6 months after treatment, the patient was transfusion-independent, had normalized blood counts, and, at 32 months on continuous lenalidomide treatment, her needs for growth factor support have been minimized. Repeat bone marrow biopsies showed a patchy distribution of fibrosis with areas of normal cellularity and morphology. To our knowledge, this is the first case for a medication that could reverse the fatal outcome of APMF

Metals and selenium induce medicarpin accumulation and excretion from the roots of fenugreek seedlings: A potential detoxification mechanism

Medicarpin (M), an isoflavonoid phytoalexin, accumulates in plants of the Fabaceae family as a response to biotic and abiotic stresses. In an attempt to investigate the potential participation of M in metal detoxification, we studied the effect of three metals (copper, cadmium, and aluminum) and selenium on M synthesis and excretion from the roots of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seedlings. Medicarpin content and gene expressions were determined by RP-HPLC and RT-PCR, respectively. All treatments significantly induced increase in the expression of M biosynthetic genes and concomitant increase of M content in the roots and the culture medium. The metal and Se-induced M excretion inhibited by either orthovanadate or KCN, an ATPase and an ATP synthesis inhibitor respectively, and the elicitor-induced increase of GST transcript levels may imply the involvement of an ABC-type transport system in which GST is involved. Interestingly, a parallel increase of citrate exudation, a common metal detoxification agent, was measured in response to the elicitors used. The above results, along with the moderate effects of these elicitors on root growth and the plasma membrane integrity, imply that M as well as citrate exudation may participate in metal and Se detoxification, as part of a non element-specific resistance mechanism. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V