Distinct Immunogenetic Profiles of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Asia: A Taiwan Cooperative Oncology Group Registry Study

Asian patientswith chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) exhibit immunoglobulin heavy variable (IGHV) gene repertoires that are distinct from those observed in Western populations, and a higher proportion of Asian CLL patients carry heavy loads of somatic hypermutations (SHM) within the B-cell receptor immunoglobulins (BcR IG). Due to the low regional incidence of CLL in Asia, only a limited number of studies had attempted to probe the phenomenon of BcR IG stereotypy in Asian populations. In this study, we analyzed the IGHV-IGHD-IGHJ gene rearrangements from a series of 255 CLL patients recruited in a nationwide, multicenter study in Taiwan. Our analysis revealed that the IGHV gene repertoire was characterized by evident biases, with IGHV3-7, IGHV4-34, and IGHV3-23 being the most frequent rearranged IGHV genes, and a higher proportion of cases carrying mutated IGHV. In terms of BcR stereotypy, the incidence of major subsets was less frequent in this cohort, with subsets #77 and #28A being the most common, while the incidence of minor subsets was approximately equivalent to that reported in the Western cohorts. With this study, we provide evidence that CLL in Asia is indeed associated with distinct immunogenetic characteristics regarding IGHV gene usage, SHM status, and BcR IG stereotypy

Flammability and tensile properties of polylactide nanocomposites with short carbon fibers

[[abstract]]Nanocomposites of polylactide (PLA) with aluminum hydroxide (ATH), short carbon fibers (CF), and montmorillonite (MMT) were prepared via direct melt blending. The exfoliated and intercalated clay structures with some aggregations in the PLA matrix were observed. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the PLA composite caused by the high content of the retardant ATH were improved by adding modified MMT and CF to replace a portion of ATH in the PLA matrix. The thermal degradation temperatures and char residue of the PLA/ATH/MMT/CF nanocomposites as determined by thermogravimetric analysis were higher than without MMT. Furthermore, a novel method was proposed to analyze the flammability of composite using an infrared camera, which could capture the apparent thermal image of the sample during UL 94 V test. It was found that, with addition of the MMT and short CF, a more effective insulation layer could be formed on the ablating surface of the PLA/ATH composite, and the high thermal conductivity of the CF might increase the release rate of heat from the surface composite during burn, thus the PLA/ATH/MMT nanocomposite containing short carbon fibers having a V-0 rating without flaming dripping could be obtained.[[notice]]補正完