Dima El-Sharkawi^*, Bernard Davis^* and John Porter^*

Department of Haematology, University College London Hospital, London, United Kingdom

Paola Polchi^1*, Rossella Palmieri^2*, Marco Andreani^1*, Javid Gaziev, MD³, Cecilia Alfieri^1*, Gioia De Angelis^1*, Cristiano Gallucci^1*, Antonella Isgro^1*, Marco Marziali^1*, Katia Paciaroni^1*, Andrea Roveda^1*, Pietro Sodani^1* and Guido Lucarelli^1*

¹International Center for Transplantation in Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia,Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
²Laboratory Medicine, Policlinico di Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy
³Dept. of Thalassemia, Mediterranean Institute of Hematology, Rome, Italy

Katsuya Ikuta, MD, PhD¹, Alexandre Yersin, PhD^2*, Junko Jimbo, MD, PhD^1*, Takaaki Hosoki, MD^1*, Motohiro Shindo, MD, PhD^1*, Kazuya Sato, MD, PhD^1*, Yoshihiro Torimoto, MD, PhD³, Atsushi Ikai, PhD^2* and Yutaka Kohgo, MD, PhD¹

¹Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa, Japan
²Department of Life Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
³Oncology Center, Asahikawa Medical College Hospital, Asahikawa, Japan

Katsuya Ikuta, MD, PhD¹, Yoshihiro Torimoto, MD, PhD², Takaaki Hosoki, MD^1*, Junko Jimbo, MD, PhD^1*, Motohiro Shindo, MD, PhD^1*, Kazuya Sato, MD, PhD^1*, Takaaki Ohtake, MD, PhD^1*, Katsunori Sasaki, PhD^3* and Yutaka Kohgo, MD, PhD¹

¹Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa, Japan
²Oncology Center, Asahikawa Medical College Hospital, Asahikawa, Japan
³Department of Gastrointestinal Immunology and Regenerative Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa, Japan

Hesham Hazin, MD^1*, Kotresha Neelakantappa, MD^2*, Lakshmi Ramasahayam, MD^3*, Ahmed Abdel-Maksoud, MD^4*, Josua Fogel, PhD^5*, Søren Kragh Moestrup, MD, PhD^6* and Ralph Carmel, MD⁷

¹NY Methodist Hosptial, Brooklyn, NY
²NY Methodist Hospital, NY
³NY Methodist Hosptial, NY
⁴New York Methodist Hospital, NY
⁵Brooklyn College of City University of NY, NY
⁶University of Aarhus, Aarhus C, Denmark
⁷Weill Medical College of Cornell Univ., New York, NY

Antonella Roetto, PhD^1*, Rosa Maria Pellegrino, Dr^1*, Ilaria Defilippi, PhD^1*, Sonia Carturan, PhD^2*, Enrico Bracco, PhD^1*, Daniela Cilloni, MD¹, Clara Camaschella, MD³ and Giuseppe Saglio, MD^1*

¹Dept. Of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
²Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Orbassano,Turin, Italy
³Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy

Esther M.G. Jacobs^1*, Jan C.M. Hendriks^2*, Herman G. Kreeftenberg Sr.^3*, Richard A. de Vries^4*, Joannes J.M. Marx^5*, Cees Th .B. M. van Deursen^6*, Anton F.H. Stalenhoef^7*, Andre L.M. Verbeek^8* and Dorine W. Swinkels, MD, PhD⁹

¹Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, Radboud Univ. Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
²Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Radboud Univ. Nijmegen Medical Centre
³University Medical Centre Groningen
⁴Rijnstate Hospital Arnhem
⁵University Medical Centre Utrecht
⁶Atrium Medical Centre Brunssum
⁷General Internal Medicine, Radboud Univ. Nijmegen Medical centre
⁸Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Radboud Univ. Nijmegen Medical centre
⁹Clinical Chem. 441, Radboud Univ. Nijmegen Medical centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands

Konstantinos Sarantos^1*, Patricia Evans^2*, Maciej Garbowski^1*, Bernard Davis^3* and John B Porter^2*

¹University College London Hospitals, London, United Kingdom
²University College London, London, United Kingdom
³University College Hospitals, London, United Kingdom

Patricia Aguilar-Martinez¹, Severine Cunat^1*, Fabienne Becker^1*, Francois Blanc^2*, Marlene Nourrit^3*, Philippe Pouderoux^4* and Jean-Francois Schved^1*

¹Laboratory of Hematology, CHU DE MONTPELLIER, Montpellier, France
²Department of Internal Medicine, CHU DE MONTPELLIER, Montpellier, France
³EFS, Nimes, France
⁴Hepatogastroenterology, CHU NIMES, Nimes, France

Domenico Girelli¹, Michela Pasino^1*, Julia Goodnough^2*, Elizabeta Nemeth^2*, Annalisa Castagna^1*, Fabiana Busti^1*, Natascia Campostrini^1*, Nicola Martinelli^1*, Maria Guido^3*, Italo Vantini^4*, Roberto Corrocher^1*, Tomas Ganz² and Giovanna Fattovich^4*

¹Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
²UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
³Diagnostic Sciences & Special Therapies, University of Padova
⁴Gastroenterology Unit, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy