Diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia in a rural population of children. Relative usefulness of serum ferritin, red cell protoporphyrin, red cell indices, and transferrin saturation determinations.

The diagnostic usefulness in iron deficiency anemia of serum ferritin, red cell protoporphyrin (Epp), mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and transferrin saturation measurements has been studied in a population of 294 children aged 1 to 6 yr. Of the children studied 19% had hemoglobin below 11 g/dl. Iron deficiency, diagnosed by at least two abnormal independent laboratory parameters, was the cause of anemia in all except two cases.

EA rosette formation: a simple means to increase sensitivity of the antiglobulin test in patients with anti red cell antibodies.

Erythrocyte antibody (EA) rosette formation with the Fc-receptor on the K-562 erythro-myeloid cell line was employed for the detection of subagglutinating amounts of Ig molecules bound to red cells. The sensitivity of this method exceeds that of the conventional direct and indirect antiglobulin tests without any alteration of the incubation media or pretreatment of red cells. The increased sensitivity did not diminish the specificity of the test, which can detect IgG, IgM and complement as well.

The in vitro sensitivity of leukemic and normal leukocytes to hydrocortisone induced cytolysis.

A marked sensitivity of CLL lymphocytes to hydrocortisone in vitro was demonstrated in each of the 25 patients tested. The sensitivity was manifested by the eventual lysis of the affected cells. Malignant lymphocytes from 8 out of 14 ALL patients were found also to be in vitro sensitive, whereas CML cells, AML cells, normal BM cells, thymocytes, peripheral blood lymphocytes, and polymorphonuclear cells were resistant.

Continuous production of monoclonal rheumatoid factor by EBV-transformed lymphocytes.

Human B lymphocytes are immortalized by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV, ref. 1). The virus can be used to establish lymphoblastoid cell lines that produce and actively secrete specific antibodies.

Human prothymocytes. Membrane properties, differentiation patterns, glucocorticoid sensitivity, and ultrastructural features.

Thymic precursor cells (prothymocytes) comprise a large proportion of the fetal thymic cell population, but are less frequently encountered in the postnatal thymus, where they compose < 1% of the entire population. In the present study we attempted to characterize a number of properties of the prothymocytes obtained from human fetal thymic tissues after depletion of the E-rosette thymocyes on a Ficoll-Hypaque gradient. The prothymocytes are larger than the thymocytes and show a different nuclear chromatin pattern.

Operation for congenital megacolon in a hemophilic patient.

A 13-year-old boy with congenital megacolon and hemophilia A underwent a Duhamel operation and closure of colostomy with administration of large amounts of antihemophilic factor. The intraoperative level of this factor was 80%, and the postoperative level was maintained at about 70% during the first week and at 30% during the second week. There was no bleeding tendency during or after surgery.

Anemia among Druze children in the Golan Heights.

The prevalence and causes of anemia were studied in 294 Druze children aged 10 months to six years. The hemoglobin level was less than 11.0 g/dl in 19%; none of these anemic children had folate deficiency.

Suppressive effect of ferritin on in vitro lymphocyte function.

This study describes the effect of ferritin on lymphocyte function in vitro. Peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated from normal donors were incubated with purified human splenic ferritin, and the mitogenic effect of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) were assessed by the uptake of 3H-thymidine (3H-TdR). Ferritin (0.

Prevalence and causes of anemia in elderly hospitalized patients.

The prevalence and causes of anemia have been studied in 104 patients over 60 years of age admitted to a general medical ward in Jerusalem. In males and females, mean hemoglobin levels were about 1 g less than in the corresponding groups of healthy younger controls. A primary nutritional anemia could not be implicated in any of the 15 patients with hemoglobins below 11 g/dl.

Natural killer activity in patients with acute myelocytic leukemia.

The natural killer activity of isolated mononuclear cell populations of acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) patients in remission and relapse was compared with that of mononuclear cells obtained from normal subjects. The target cells consisted of 51Cr-labeled blast cells of the K-562 cell line, which was originally obtained from a patient with chronic myelocytic leukemia in blast crisis. The natural killer activity of lymphocytes from AML patients in remission was similar to or higher than that of normal subjects.

Sustained haematological remission after bone marrow curettage in a case of primary myelofibrosis.

This brief case report describes a sustained haematological remission obtained in a patient with primary myelofibrosis treated by bone marrow curettage after previous therapy with androgens was unsuccessful. The patient remains in haematological remission 5 years after the procedure. It is suggested that this procedure be attempted in more cases of myelofibrosis.

Granulocyte transfusion therapy: a clinical trial in patients with acute leukemia and sepsis.

The effect of granulocyte transfusions on the course of infection in patients under treatment for acute leukemia was evaluated by comparing 19 febrile episodes in 15 patients receiving antibiotics alone with 18 febrile episodes in 13 patients receiving antibiotics in combination with granulocyte transfusions from ABO-matched donors. Both groups had a similar age, sex distribution and duration of disease prior to the febrile episode. About two-thirds of the patients in both groups had acute myeloblastic leukemia.

Ethnical and clinical aspects of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Israel: a survey on 288 patients.

The ethnic distribution of 288 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) from five medical centers in Israel during the decade 1960--1970 was investigated as well as other features of the disease. 80.5% of the patients were of East European descent, 14.

Nutritional survey in an iron- and folate-deficient population.

A high prevalence of folate and iron-deficiency anemia was found in women and children of Kiryat Shmoneh, an Upper Galilee community. Malnutrition was assumed to be partially responsible for these deficiencies. To verify this assumption, a detailed nutrition survey was carried out in 30 families, comprising 232 individuals in this community.

Serum and erythrocyte folates in combined iron and folate deficiency.

A high incidence of iron and folate deficiency was found in 80 female subjects living in a private institution. Iron therapy in individuals with low serum iron values resulted in a significant increase in hemoglobin levels. An improvement in serum and RBC folate levels was also found following iron therapy but this could not be attributed to treatment since a similar increase was observed in untreated control subjects, probably due to an increased dietary intake of folates during the study period.