Extramedullary haematopoiesis in patients with thalassemia: a cross-sectional description of its prevalence, clinical features and survival.

Introduction: Despite knowledge advances on extramedullary haematopoiesis (EMH) in thalassemic patients, the real picture remains an open issue.

Objectives: To assess EMH prevalence in patients with thalassemia major (TM) and intermedia (TI), to describe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and to explore clinical risk factors.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, images and clinical records of 184 consecutive patients with thalassemia who underwent T2* MRI between 2004 and 2011 were reviewed.

Brazilian Thalassemia Association protocol for iron chelation therapy in patients under regular transfusion.

In the absence of an iron chelating agent, patients with beta-thalassemia on regular transfusions present complications of transfusion-related iron overload. Without iron chelation therapy, heart disease is the major cause of death; however, hepatic and endocrine complications also occur. Currently there are three iron chelating agents available for continuous use in patients with thalassemia on regular transfusions (desferrioxamine, deferiprone, and deferasirox) providing good results in reducing cardiac, hepatic and endocrine toxicity.

Echocardiography in thalassemic patients on blood transfusions and chelation without heart failure.

Background: Patients with thalassemia major present chronic hemolysis and require regular blood transfusions which may cause iron overload cardiomyopathy and chronic heart failure. Hemochromatosis is characterized by excessive iron accumulation in tissues, and heart involvement is the main cause of death in patients with thalassemia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac structure and function by conventional Doppler echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging in patients with TM and no clinical evidence of heart failure.

HLA among Brazilian patients with spontaneous chronic urticaria and positive autologous serum skin test.

Background: An association between class I and II alleles of the major histocompatibility complex and idiopathic chronic urticaria has previously been observed in different populations, but there are still no studies on Brazilian populations in this regard.

Objective: The involvement of the major histocompatibility complex classes I and II (loci A, B and DR) in Brazilian patients with idiopathic chronic urticaria and a positive autologous serum skin test was investigated and compared with a healthy population group.

Methods: DNA was extracted from the blood of 42 patients with idiopathic chronic urticaria and major histocompatibility complex classes I and II alleles were determined using the polymerase chain reaction and a laboratory test for oligonucleotide hybridization using a single-filament probe.

Iron overload in Brazilian thalassemic patients.

Unlabelled: ABSTRACTObjectives:To evaluate the use of magnetic resonance imaging in patients with β-thalassemia and to compare T2* magnetic resonance imaging results with serum ferritin levels and the redox active fraction of labile plasma iron.

Methods: We have retrospectively evaluated 115 chronically transfused patients (65 women). We tested serum ferritin with chemiluminescence, fraction of labile plasma iron by cellular fluorescence and used T2* MRI to assess iron content in the heart, liver, and pancreas.

Pancreatic iron stores assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in beta thalassemic patients.

Purpose: To assess the correlation between MRI findings of the pancreas with those of the heart and liver in patients with beta thalassemia; to compare the pancreas T2* MRI results with glucose and ferritin levels and labile plasma iron (LPI).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated chronically transfused patients, testing glucose with enzymatic tests, serum ferritin with chemiluminescence, LPI with cellular fluorescence, and T2* MRI to assess iron content in the heart, liver, and pancreas. MRI results were compared with one another and with serum glucose, ferritin, and LPI.

Anti-N-like and anti-Form red cell antibodies in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusions and the use of reusable dialyzers sterilized with formaldehyde can lead to RBC alloimmunization in chronic hemodialysis patients. The formed RBC alloantibodies have been implicated in immediate kidney allograft failure and decreased RBC survival observed in these patients. Using indirect antiglobulin test, direct antiglobulin test (DAT), and direct Polibrene test (DPT), we detected an RBC alloimmunization rate of 17.