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Query: UMLS:C0039730 (thalassemia)
 10,305 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The two main causes of microcytic and hypochromic anaemia are iron deficiency (IDA) and thalassaemia (THAL) traits. In the Mediterranean area there is a high prevalence of beta and delta-beta THAL minor. The differentiation between these causes of microcytosis can be significantly improved with two new indices, percentage of microcytes (%Mi) and percentage of hypochromic red blood cells (%Hy), and the direct determination of MCHC, provided by the technological advances of the H*2 analyser. Our discriminant analysis, based on the minimization of Wilk's lambda (lambda) criterion, was used to select the best predictive variables to differentiate between IDA and THAL and has resulted in the highest diagnostic efficiency published to date. The discriminant function obtained is a simple linear combination of the following variables: D = 1.145 RBC-0.174 MCV + 0.091 MCHC + 0.787 square root of (%Hy/%Mi)-22.119. The overall correct classification was 97.6% on the training sample (79 THAL and 90 IDA) and 96.7% on a validation sample of microcytic patients (72 THAL and 80 IDA). The sensitivity and diagnostic specificity were 97.5% and 97.8%, respectively, for the training sample, and 95.8% and 97.5% for the control group.
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PMID:New indices from the H*2 analyser improve differentiation between heterozygous beta or delta beta thalassaemia and iron-deficiency anaemia. 853 18

Microcytic erythropoiesis in case of anemia is frequently due to iron deficiency or may be due to alpha- and beta- thalassemia trait as a result of increased activity of erythropoiesis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate alterations with regard to the degree of hemoglobinization in reticulocytes in comparison with mature erythrocytes. Iron availability in subjects with anemia resulting from iron deficiency and alpha- or beta- thalassemia was studied by application of conventional as well hemocytometric parameters that have recently become available. Participants of the study were reference subjects (n=75), subjects with iron deficiency anemia (IDA, n=52) and alpha- (n=26) or beta-thalassemia trait (n=24). If compared with the reference group obviously increased RBC counts together with decreased values for RDW-sd and MCHC were established in case of alpha- and beta- thalassemia subjects. Deviations were demonstrated to be more pronounced in case of beta- thalassemia. Accelerated erythropoiesis in the case of subjects with IDA and beta-thalassemia is manifested by detection of increased results for immature reticulocyte counts. In particular in case of beta- thalassemia, elevated reticulocyte counts combined with slightly increased values for ZPP/heme ratio reflect increased activity of erythropoiesis. In the case of subjects with beta-thalassemia serum transferrin concentrations revealed slightly decreased results, whereas serum ferritin and iron concentrations demonstrated a tendency towards higher values if compared with the group of reference subjects. At a definitive MCV level, the hemoglobin content of reticulocytes is decreased in the case of IDA if compared with the alpha- or beta- thalassemia trait. For the ratio of hemoglobin content of reticulocytes and erythrocytes, obviously decreased results are demonstrated in the case of subjects with iron deficiency anemia (1.02 +/- 0.08, mean +/- SD) and in the case of beta-thalassemia (1.06 +/- 0.04) if compared with the group of reference subjects (1.11 +/- 0.02) and a-thalassemia (1.11 +/- 0.07). Evaluation of the hemoglobinization state should be performed by means of pattern recognition in concordance with characteristic profiles for parameters reflecting the actual iron state. In case of therapy the result of intervention can be appropriately monitored by longitudinal follow-up.
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PMID:Hemoglobinization and functional availability of iron for erythropoiesis in case of thalassemia and iron deficiency anemia. 1658 56

Red blood cell (RBC) aggregation in blood samples taken from healthy volunteers and from multiple myeloma (MM), iron deficiency (IDA) and beta-minor thalassemia (T) patients was studied by a novel method based on electrical properties of colloidal systems. It was found that RBC aggregation changes in the following order: MM > IDA > control > or = T. Comparison of aggregation data obtained by this and other techniques shows that the sensitivity of the proposed technique to detect abnormal changes in RBC aggregation is substantially higher. For example, the mean values of relative aggregation indices measured for MM by this method and that based on the phenomenon of light scattering are 13.0 and 4.2, respectively. The high sensitivity of this technique allows investigations of the effect of moderate aggregating agents (i.e., IgG) on RBC aggregation. It is assumed that the higher sensitivity of the proposed technique to abnormal changes in RBC aggregation may be helpful both in basic studies to improve the understanding of the reason(s) for these abnormal changes, and in clinical investigations for earlier diagnostics.
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PMID:A novel technique for quantification of erythrocyte aggregation abnormalities in pathophysiological situations. 1732 36