• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1053-1055
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• 2016

Background: Polycythemia rubra vera (PV), being a primary polycythemia, is caused by neoplastic proliferation of erythroid, megakaryocytic and granulocytic lineages which result in panmyelosis. PV patients have a somatic acquired mutation in the Janus kinase (JAK2) pathway, rendering cell proliferation independent of the normal regulatory mechanisms that regulate erythropoiesis. The rational of this study was to determine the prevalence of the JAK-2 V617F mutation in Pakistani patients with PV. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study, 26 patients with PV were enrolled from January 2010 to December 2014. Patients were diagnosed based on WHO criteria for PV. All were screened for G-T point mutation (V617F) in the JAK2 gene on chromosome 9 by an allele specific PCR. Results: The mean age was $53.4{\pm}9.31years$ (range 36-72) and the male to female ratio was 2:1. The frequency of JAK2 V617F positivity in our PV patients was found to be 92.3%. Overall 30.7% of patients were asymptomatic and remaining 69.3% presented with symptomatic disease. The mean hemoglobin was $18.1{\pm}1.9g/dl$ with the mean hematocrit of $55.6{\pm}8.3%$. The mean total leukocyte count was $12.8{\pm}7.1{\times}10^9/l$ and the platelet count was $511{\pm}341.9{\times}10^9/l$. A positive correlation of JAK2 V617F mutation was established with high TLC count (P=0.01). No correlation of JAK2 V617F could be established with age or gender (P>0.05). Conclusions: The JAK2 V617F mutation frequency in our PV patients was similar to those reported internationally. Screening for the mutation in all suspected PV cases could be beneficial in differentiating patients with reactive and clonal erythrocytosis.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.170-180
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• 2009

Somatic chromosome counts and karyotype analyses were carried out for eight taxa of Korean Allium sect. Sacculiferum. The basic chromosome number of sect. Sacculiferum was x = 8, and they could be cytologically divided into two groups, that is, a diploid group (2n = 2x = 16) containing A. thunbergii var. thunbergii, A. thunbergii var. deltoides, A. thunbergii var. teretifistulosum, A. deltoidefistulosum, A. longistylum, A. linearifolium and A. taqueti, and a tetraploid group (2n = 4x = 32) with only A. sacculiferum. All observed chromosomes were classified into metacentric, submetacentric and subtelocentric. The metacentric ones appeared in all treated taxa. One or two pairs of submetacentric chromosomes were observed in most taxa except A. sacculiferum, the unique taxon with subtelocentric chromosomes. All taxa had a pair of homologous chromosomes with satellites, and the B-chromosomes found in A. thunbergii var. thunbergii, A. deltoidefistulosum, A. sacculiferum and A. longistylum, were metacentric or telocentric. The karyotypes of A. longistylum and A. linearifolium were firstly investigated in this study. In conclusion, the somatic chromosome numbers and karyotypes for members of the sect. Sacculiferum were valuable characters in identifying taxa, investigating interspecific relationships and delimiting taxa. In addition, A. thunbergii var. teretifolium, an invalid name (homonym), was renamed as A. thunbergii var. teretifistulosum H. J. Choi & B. U. Oh.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.58-65
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• 2011

Commelina benghalensis L. and Commelina diffusa Burm. f. belonging to Commelinaceae, two species previously unrecorded as Korean flora, were collected in the lowlands of Jeju Island in Korea. Commelina benghalensis of the two species is different from others of Commelinaceae in Korea by having funnelform spathes fused at the proximal margin of involucral bracts and cleistogamous flowers. In addition, Commelina diffusa differ from others by having a three-valve capsule and lanceolate and a base cordate or rounded spathelike involucral bracts. The somatic chromosome number of Commelina benghalensis was 2n = 2x = 22 and the sizes of chromosomes were very small, ranging from 1.25 to 2.70 ${\mu}m$. However, the Commelina diffusa chromosome number exceeded 2n = ca. 100, and a precise count could not be obtained. These species are known to be distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa below the latitude of Jeju Island of Korea.