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Query: UMLS:C0019045 (hemoglobinopathies)
 2,704 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Surgical therapy of the acute abdomen often allows only limited time for differential diagnosis to confirm the indication for surgery. Under consideration of clinical aspects and case history both common and rare causes of an acute abdomen should be investigated without undue loss of time. Differential diagnostic considerations and eventual therapy are presented in the following case of a 25-year-old Afro-american who developed multiorgan failure after an initial course of lower-back pain. In addition to the clinical setting of an acute abdomen the patient presented with acute respiratory failure and laboratory signs of severe hemolysis in combination with newly detected splenomegaly. The indication for splenectomy was made following CT-proven complete splenic infarction due to repeated acute squestration. Histologic examination of the spleen together with hemoglobin electrophoresis confirmed the clinical assumption of unusually late primary manifestation of a sickle cell crisis. In the underlying case, the hemoglobinopathy was in fact the less common form of combined sickle-cell-beta-thalassemia. A ten-day course of intensive care therapy was necessary to treat ongoing multiorgan failure due to persistent sickle cell crisis. Current diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in connection with sickle cell crisis as a rare cause of an acute abdomen with the necessity for surgical intervention are presented.
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PMID:[Differential diagnosis and therapy of acute abdomen in sickle cell crisis. A rare case in visceral surgery]. 1074 38

Hb Presbyterian is a variant hemoglobin that carries Lys at Asn-108 of beta-globin. This variant Lys(beta108) residue enhances the stability of Hb in the deoxy-state, conferring the low affinity for oxygen-binding in vitro. In the present study, we generated mutant mice carrying the Presbyterian mutation (Asn(beta108)-->Lys) at the beta-globin locus by a targeted knock-in strategy. Heterozygous mice showed the expression of Hb Presbyterian in 27.7% of total peripheral blood without any hematological abnormalities, which well mimicked human cases. On the other hand, homozygous mice exclusively expressed Hb Presbyterian in 100% of peripheral blood associated with hemolytic anemia, Heinz body formation, and splenomegaly. Hb Presbyterian showed instability in an in vitro precipitation assay. Erythrocytes from homozygous mice showed a shortened life span when transfused into wild-type mice, confirming that the knocked-in mutation of Lys(beta108) caused hemolysis in homozygous mice. This is the first report on the hemolytic anemia of unstable hemoglobin in an animal model. These results confirm the notion that the higher ratio of an unstable variant beta-globin chain in erythrocytes triggers the pathological precipitation and induces hemolysis in abnormal hemoglobinopathies.
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PMID:Model mice for Presbyterian hemoglobinopathy (Asn(beta108)-->Lys) confer hemolytic anemia with altered oxygen affinity and instability of Hb. 1212 75

Achieving long-term pancellular expression of a transferred gene at therapeutic level in a given hematopoietic lineage remains an important goal of gene therapy. Advances have recently been made in the genetic correction of the hemoglobinopathies by means of lentiviral vectors and large locus control region (LCR) derivatives. However, panerythroid beta globin gene expression has not yet been achieved in beta thalassemic mice because of incomplete transduction of the hematopoietic stem cell compartment and position effect variegation of proviruses integrated at a single copy per genome. Here, we report the permanent, panerythroid correction of severe beta thalassemia in mice, resulting from a homozygous deletion of the beta major globin gene, by transplantation of syngeneic bone marrow transduced with an HIV-1-derived [beta globin gene/LCR] lentiviral vector also containing the Rev responsive element and the central polypurine tract/DNA flap. The viral titers produced were high enough to achieve transduction of virtually all of the hematopoietic stem cells in the graft with an average of three integrated proviral copies per genome in all transplanted mice; the transduction was sustained for >7 months in both primary and secondary transplants, at which time approximately 95% of the red blood cells in all mice contained human beta globin contributing to 32 +/- 4% of all beta-like globin chains. Hematological parameters approached complete phenotypic correction, as assessed by hemoglobin levels and reticulocyte and red blood cell counts. All circulating red blood cells became and remained normocytic and normochromic, and their density was normalized. Free alpha globin chains were completely cleared from red blood cell membranes, splenomegaly abated, and iron deposit was almost eliminated in liver sections. These findings indicate that virtually complete transduction of the hematopoietic stem cell compartment can be achieved by high-titer lentiviral vectors and that position effect variegation can be mitigated by multiple events of proviral integration to yield balanced, panerythroid expression. These results provide a solid foundation for the initiation of human clinical trials in beta thalassemia patients.
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PMID:Permanent and panerythroid correction of murine beta thalassemia by multiple lentiviral integration in hematopoietic stem cells. 1239 30

Intravascular hemolysis is associated with several pathologic conditions that include hemoglobinopathies, trauma, malaria, and bacterial infections. Among plasma-protective proteins against oxidative damage caused by red blood cell rupture, haptoglobin and hemopexin are thought to play a crucial role. Haptoglobin and hemopexin, by binding with high-affinity hemoglobin and heme, respectively, exert an antioxidant action by preventing heme-catalyzed free radical production. Moreover, these proteins prevent iron loss by inhibiting glomerular filtration of hemoglobin and heme diffusion through plasma membranes. Analysis of single-null mice demonstrated the antioxidant action of haptoglobin and hemopexin in vivo and suggests that the 2 proteins cooperate in the resolution of hemolytic stress. To evaluate the physiological relevance of the haptoglobin-hemopexin system and the principal targets of its action, we generated haptoglobin-hemopexin double-knockout mice and analyzed them under basal conditions and after acute hemolysis. Whereas haptoglobin-hemopexin double-null mice displayed no obvious alteration in phenotype under basal conditions, nonlethal hemolytic stress in these animals led to pronounced splenomegaly as well as liver inflammation and fibrosis. These data demonstrate that haptoglobin and hemopexin together are essential for protection from splenomegaly and liver fibrosis resulting from intravascular hemolysis.
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PMID:Enhanced splenomegaly and severe liver inflammation in haptoglobin/hemopexin double-null mice after acute hemolysis. 1239 71

Patients affected by beta-thalassemia major require lifelong transfusions because of insufficient or absent production of the beta chain of hemoglobin (Hb). A minority of patients are cured by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. In the most severe of the hitherto available mouse models of beta-thalassemia, a model for human beta-thalassemia intermedia, we previously demonstrated that globin gene transfer in bone marrow cells is curative, stably raising Hb levels from 8.0-8.5 to 11.0-12.0 g/dL in long-term chimeras. To fully assess the therapeutic potential of gene therapy in the context of a lethal anemia, we now have created an adult model of beta(0)-thalassemia major. In this novel model, mice engrafted with beta-globin-null (Hbb(th3/th3)) fetal liver cells succumb to ineffective erythropoiesis within 60 days. These mice rapidly develop severe anemia (2-4 g/dL), massive splenomegaly, extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH), and hepatic iron overload. Remarkably, most mice (11 of 13) treated by lentivirus-mediated globin gene transfer were rescued. Long-term chimeras with an average 1.0-2.4 copies of the TNS9 vector in their hematopoietic and blood cells stably produced up to 12 g/dL chimeric Hb consisting of mu alpha(2):hu beta(2) tetramers. Pathologic analyses indicated that erythroid maturation was restored, while EMH and iron overload dramatically decreased. Thus, we have established an adult animal model for the most severe of the hemoglobinopathies, Cooley anemia, which should prove useful to investigate both genetic and pharmacologic treatments. Our findings demonstrate the remarkable efficacy of lentivirus-mediated globin gene transfer in treating a fulminant blood disorder and strongly support the efficacy of gene therapy in the severe hemoglobinopathies.
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PMID:A novel murine model of Cooley anemia and its rescue by lentiviral-mediated human beta-globin gene transfer. 1248 Jun 89

We report the case of a young patient native of the Ivory Coast who suffered from homozygous hemoglobin C disease. He presented with the usual findings of this hemoglobinopathy: a moderate hemolytic anemia and a massive, painful and even disabling splenomegaly. Pain completely disappeared following splenectomy. However, postoperative course was complicated by portal venous thrombosis, which was medically treated. No deficiency of natural coagulation inhibitors could be demonstrated, so splenectomy was the only factor predisposing to thrombosis. We consider that in only very few cases of hemoglobin C disease, splenectomy (preceded by prophylactic antipneumococcic vaccine) may be indicated from pain and risk of spontaneous splenic rupture.
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PMID:[Hemoglobinopathy C and splenomegaly in an Ivory Coast patient. Value of splenectomy]. 1280 78

Hydroxyurea has been extensively used in patients with sickle cell anemia and severe sickle cell-hemoglobin C (SC) disease to reduce the severity of their diseases. We report here our experience with an adult patient with severe SC disease who developed symptomatic splenomegaly requiring splenectomy while being treated with hydroxyurea. This case suggests that hydroxyurea might restore some splenic function in functionally asplenic patients with sickle cell anemia or SC disease, but also raises the clinical concern that hydroxyurea may induce splenic regrowth, resulting in symptomatic splenomegaly. With the increasing use of hydroxyurea in the management of SS disease or other hemoglobinopathies, the importance of spleen monitoring must be further emphasized in these patients.
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PMID:Hydroxyurea-induced splenic regrowth in an adult patient with severe hemoglobin SC disease. 1450 99

A rare case of an unusual association of liver hydatidosis (LH) and beta-thalassemia (beta-Thal) was reported. In a 43 year old white man, who has no connection to endemic areas of echinococcosis or beta-Thal (but was operated probably for splenic echinococcus 25 years ago), an intermediate form of beta-Thal according hematologic morphologic, and hemoglobin-electrophoretic criteria was diagnosed. Common and different criteria to another anemias (especially of iron deficiency) was discussed and authors believed that this splenomegaly (as specific sign of hereditary beta-Thal) isn't indication for operation. Conventional X-ray, US, and CT was characteristic for LH, and intraoperative cytology was performed. Correlation to a very interesting and rare analogous case, but of homozygous hemoglobinopathy C was made.
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PMID:[The rare combination of liver echinococcosis and beta-thalassemia]. 1564 37

Hemoglobin (Hb) Bristol-Alesha is caused by a GTG --> ATG mutation at codon 67 in the Hb beta chain, resulting in abnormal beta globin chains with mutated molecules from normal beta67 valine (Val) to beta67 methionine (Met) or beta67 aspartate (Asp). We describe a Japanese child with this rare hemoglobinopathy and a very unstable Hb molecule phenotype. The diagnosis of hemolytic anemia was made when the patient was 6 months of age. Development of marked splenomegaly necessitated red blood cell transfusions twice a month. After splenectomy when the patient was 4 years of age, laboratory findings of hemolytic anemia became more prominent. Specific abnormal Hb molecules initially were not detected, and the alpha/beta globin synthesis ratio was abnormal at 2.22. After splenectomy, we identified the presence of abnormal beta-globin chains with a beta67Val:beta67Met:beta67Asp molecule ratio of 74:11:15. We speculate that the high fraction of the beta67Met molecule in this patient, compared with that in previously reported cases, caused extreme Hb instability, which resulted in thalassemic hyperunstable hemoglobinopathy and very severe clinical findings.
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PMID:Hb Bristol-Alesha presenting thalassemia-type hyperunstable hemoglobinopathy. 1564 51

Sickle cell disease displays a unique progression in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia, where splenomegaly with hypersplenism is noted with high frequency in the adolescent and adult patients. The late persistence of splenomegaly although likely reflects the milder progression of sickle cell disease in this region; nevertheless, it predisposes the patients to increased morbidity. The present study documents the characteristic clinicopathological features of splenomegaly associated with sickle cell disease in the Al-Hassa region of Eastern province Saudi Arabia. Forty-four cases of sickle cell disease patients in whom splenectomy was performed during 1999-2003 were studied. The hemoglobinopathy profiles of the patients (age range 5-42 years) comprised sickle cell anemia (8 cases), sickle cell anemia with high fetal hemoglobin (23 cases), and sickle cell-beta degrees thalassemia (13 cases). All patients had manifestations of hypersplenism and 39 patients experienced episodes of minor-type sequestration crisis. Splenectomy was effective in ameliorating the hematological abnormalities in all cases, without any major complications in the follow-up period. The splenectomy specimens showed moderate-to-marked enlargement in most cases, with histological features of fibrocongestive splenomegaly and prominent Gandy-gamma body formations. Micro-infarcts in 27 cases and gross infarctions in 9 cases were evident. The relationship of persistent splenomegaly with higher fetal hemoglobin levels and splenic hypofunction is examined along with the significance of splenectomy in these cases.
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PMID:Fibrocongestive splenomegaly in sickle cell disease: a distinct clinicopathological entity in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. 1598 Dec 25


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