Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0240066 (iron deficiency)
 7,156 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cerebral infarction in children is often caused by intracranial vascular disorder, cardiac disease, head injury, or infection, and is rarely induced by blood disease. In this paper, we describe an infantile case of cerebral infarction associated with thrombocytosis. A female infant of eight months of age developed left hemiparesis after a slight head injury. Her CT and MRI demonstrated a cerebral infarction located from the right internal capsule to the right corona radiata. Laboratory findings revealed iron-deficiency anemia and thrombocytosis with a platelet count 107.5 x 10(4)/mm3. Although she had no disorder that had caused iron deficiency, serum Fe value of the patient was low with a count of 18 micrograms/dl. Her bone marrow was normal except for a slight increase in the number of megakaryocytes. One month later, her anemia was improved by means of oral iron replacement. However, her platelet count remained at more than 100 x 10(4)/mm3 as it had been before. Her condition of left-sided hemiparesis gradually improved by a program of rehabilitation, and did not recur after aspirin administration. Although the main cause of her thrombocytosis that led to a transient cerebrovascular accident is obscure, it is postulated that her iron deficiency anemia induced secondary thrombocytosis, or else the patient had essential thrombocytosis.
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PMID:[An infantile case of cerebral infarction associated with thrombocytosis]. 159 Oct 25

ESR is a time-honored, simple, inexpensive test, but unfortunately it lacks sensitivity and specificity. Clinicians need to be aware of appropriate uses, because any test is expensive when ordered often, and evaluation of false-positive results may incur substantial costs and place the patient at risk from additional procedures. ESR should not be used to screen asymptomatic persons for disease. If an increased ESR is encountered and no explanation is immediately apparent, clinicians should repeat the test in several months rather than pursue an exhaustive search for occult disease. ESR may be useful in establishing a "sickness index" in elderly persons who have nonspecific changes in health status and a moderate probability of underlying disease; in screening for infection in specific settings (e.g., orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, gynecology); in diagnosing and monitoring temporal arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and possibly other rheumatic diseases; in monitoring patients with treated Hodgkin's disease; and in assessing iron deficiency in anemia of chronic disease (when correlated with serum ferritin level). An ESR value exceeding 100 mm/hr has a 90% predictive value for serious underlying disease, most often infection, collagen vascular disease, or metastatic tumor. In asymptomatic persons with a markedly elevated ESR value, a minimal number of tests usually reveal the cause.
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PMID:The erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Still a helpful test when used judiciously. 959 Sep 99

Myocardial infarction remains the No. 1 killer of American men and women, with a death rate of 225,000 per year, and stroke, the third leading cause of death in the United States, afflicts about 600,000 per year. The combined financial burden of these diseases is approximately $134 billion per year. Therefore, interventions that reduce mortality and suffering will have a significant impact on the health care system. This article summarizes research conducted during the last 2 decades that addresses the idea that stored iron plays a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and that iron reduction through phlebotomy may play a role in the treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis. Body iron stores rise after adolescence in men and menopause in women. This rise has been linked to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis through iron-induced oxidation of low-density lipids and foam cell formation. However, the available evidence on the iron hypothesis remains circumstantial. Reduction of body iron stores in the setting of a controlled, prospective intervention trial is necessary to determine whether the amount of stored iron is related to clinically meaningful vascular disease. Such a study is feasible because reduction in iron stores can be achieved safely and predictably without induction of iron deficiency by graded phlebotomy. The Iron and Atherosclerosis Study (FeAST), a Veteran's Administration Cooperative Study, is under way to test this concept.
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PMID:Role of stored iron in atherosclerosis. 1199 91

This communication explores the temporal link between the age-associated increase in body iron stores and the age-related incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent cause of senile dementia. Body iron stores that increase with age could be pivotal to AD pathogenesis and progression. Increased stored iron is associated with common medical conditions such as diabetes and vascular disease that increase risk for development of AD. Increased stored iron could also promote oxidative stress/free radical damage in vulnerable neurons, a critical early change in AD. A ferrocentric model of AD described here forms the basis of a rational, easily testable experimental therapeutic approach for AD, which if successful, would be both widely applicable and inexpensive. Clinical studies have shown that calibrated phlebotomy is an effective way to reduce stored iron safely and predictably without causing anemia. We hypothesize that reducing stored iron by calibrated phlebotomy to avoid iron deficiency will improve cerebrovascular function, slow neurodegenerative change, and improve cognitive and behavioral functions in AD. The hypothesis is eminently testable as iron reduction therapy is useful for chronic diseases associated with iron excess such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), atherosclerosis, hereditary hemochromatosis and thalassemia. Testing this hypothesis could provide valuable insight into the causation of AD and suggest novel preventive and treatment strategies.
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PMID:Getting the iron out: phlebotomy for Alzheimer's disease? 1919 95

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a multisystemic vascular dysplasia that leads to nosebleeds, anaemia due to blood loss, and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in organs such as the lungs, liver and brain. HHT is estimated to affect 85,000 European citizens, but most health care providers have limited prior HHT exposure or training.Outcome Measures were developed and implemented by the HHT Working Group of the European Reference Network for Rare Vascular Diseases (VASCERN), in order to maximise the number of patients receiving good care. The measures specifically target areas where optimal management reduces morbidity and mortality in HHT patients, and were designed to be robust to emerging new evidence. Thresholds are the percentage of patients in particular settings who have been recommended screening, or provided with written advice. The 5 Outcome Measures cover (1) pulmonary AVM screening; (2) written nosebleed advice, (3) assessment of iron deficiency; (4) antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental and surgical procedures for patients with pulmonary AVMs, and (5) written advice on pregnancy. They are not a blueprint for detailed HHT management, but are suitable for all clinicians to be aware of and implement.In summary, these 5 Outcome Measures provide metrics to identify healthcare providers of good care, and encourage care improvement by all healthcare providers.
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PMID:European Reference Network For Rare Vascular Diseases (VASCERN) Outcome Measures For Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT). 3234 27