What a Family Doctor Should Know about Incidental Finding of High Mean Platelet Volume, Metabolic Syndrome, and Pre-diabetes.

Background: Mean platelet volume (MPV), an essential component of the complete blood count (CBC) indices, is underutilized in common practice. In recent years, MPV has drawn strong interest, especially in clinical research. During inflammation, the MPV has a higher value because of platelet activation.

Expansion of a unique subpopulation of cytotoxic T cells that express a C alpha V delta 1 T-cell receptor gene in a patient with severe persistent neutropenia.

CD8+ T-lymphocyte populations may be expanded in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic idiopathic neutropenia and may be involved in suppression of granulopoiesis. In this report, we have analyzed the T-cell receptor (TCR) used by the T lymphocytes of a patient with chronic severe neutropenia. Using specific oligonucleotides in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify cDNA specific for the different families of the V alpha, V beta, and V delta TCR genes, and monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to examine T-lymphocyte subsets and their TCR, a persistent expansion of CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes and a reduced repertoire of TCR V alpha and V beta genes were found in the patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) preparations.

Shwachman-Diamond sydnrome and chronic liver disease.

Clinically inapparent persistent chronic liver disease in a 15-month-old male patient with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome is presented. Cryptic hepatic involvement may be an unrecognized feature of the syndrome and should be evaluated in all cases.

Segmental obstructing acute jejunitis in a child.

Acute localized enteritis is a disease of the terminal ileum in adults and children. We have observed acute enteritis confined to the jejunum in a 3 1/2 year-old girl presenting with partial upper intestinal obstruction. Surgical biopsy of the involved region of jejunum revealed acute inflammatory changes in the mucosa and severe edema of the submucosa.