ABSTRACT
HbE-beta thalassemia is caused by an interaction between HbE and defective b globin gene of thalassemia. Repeated blood transfusions cause an iron overload, triggering an enhanced generation of free radicals. In the present study, the anti-oxidant property of ethanolic extract of the leaves of Piper betle Linn. (PB) was evaluated in the erythrocytes from patients with HbE-beta thalassemia. In patients with HbE-beta thalassemia (n = 30) and age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (n = 30), the baseline level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radical scavenging activity in the erythrocytes was measured by flow cytometry using dihydrodichlorofluorescein diacetate (H2DCFDA), in terms of the geometric mean fluorescence channel (GMFC). The baseline generation of ROS was significantly higher in the erythrocytes from patients with HbE-beta thalassemia, as compared to healthy volunteers, the GMFC being 67.20 ± 4.64 vs. 23.03 ± 1.88 (p<0.001), which was effectively decreased by PB. Similarly, H2O2 (0.5-1.0 mM) induced a higher increase in the GMFC in the erythrocytes from patients with HbE-beta thalassemia, as compared to controls which was effectively reduced by PB. Taken together, PB showed promising anti-oxidant activity against the erythrocytes from patients with HbE-beta thalassemia.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/isolation & purification , Antioxidants/therapeutic use , Ethanol , Humans , Patients , Piper betle , beta-Thalassemia/therapyABSTRACT
Aspirin is currently known to give inadequate protection against coronary artery disease in diabetes compared to person without it. We evaluated 97 consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes for assessing laboratory aspirin resistance and attempted to assess the impact of various clinical and biochemical parameters on it. Thirty-eight patients (39.1%) were found to be less sensitive to the action of aspirin, 7 persons (7.2%) were found to be resistant and 31 persons (31.9%) were aspirin semi-responders. Only total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride had statistically significant impact on aspirin resistance (p<0.05). Three persons out of 9 with some form of macrovascular disease had aspirin resistance.