Assessment of ultrasound flow-mediated dilation of brachial artery in regular blood donors in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Background: Iron is a pro-oxidant cofactor that may be linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) progression and reduction of body iron stores have been hypothesized to reduce the risk of CV disease. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess reduction in CVD risk susceptibility among regular blood donors compared with nondonors using ultrasound brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (BAFMD). Settings and Design: A prospective comparative study designed to establish the difference between mean flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in the patients who are regular blood donors compared with nondonors recruited from a Teaching Hospital donor clinic. Materials and Methods: Data were collected over 7 months from December 2014 to June 2015. 100 eligible regular male blood donors, aged 21­50 years, were selected from a Teaching Hospital blood donor records and their BAFMD assessed. 50 nondonors/ first time donors, of equivalent age group, consecutively were assessed for comparison. Serum markers of iron stores, markers of oxidative stress and other related cardiac risk factors were also assessed in all patients. Results: BAFMD was significantly greater in regular blood donors when compared with nondonors (13.95% ± 7.02% vs. 8.20% ± 4.19%, P = 0.000). Serum ferritin was significantly decreased in regular blood donors when compared with nondonors (mean value 41.92 ng/ml ± 23.12 ng/ml vs. 61.97 ± 30.19 ng/ml, P = 0.000), but Hb did not differ between the groups. High FMD was significantly associated with high C-high-density lipoprotein and low C-LDL (r = −0.215*, P = 0.032, r = 0.188, P = 0.031, r = 0.193, P = 0.027, r = 0.0279, P = 0.002, r = 0.139, P = 0.084). LDL was decreased in regular blood donors compared with nondonors. Conclusion: The study provides prognostic information for assessing ultrasound BAFMD as a cardiac risk marker. Regular blood donors have enhanced cardiovascular function with increased flow-mediated dilation, decreased body iron stores, and decreased oxidative stress compared with nondonors

Cord blood haemoglobin and ferritin concentrations in newborns of anaemic and non-anaemic mothers in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Pre-delivery haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations of anaemic and non-anaemic mothers were determined, and cord blood haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations of their newborns were compared. This is to establish the mean values for pre-delivery haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations of anaemic and non-anaemic mothers and the cord blood haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations of their newborns at term. Materials and Methods: A case­control study was done involving 142 pregnant women and their newborns. They were divided into two groups - the anaemic group (n = 65) and the non-anaemic (n = 77) group. Five millilitres of blood was collected from each woman and 2 ml was collected from the cord of their newborns into ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) bottle and plain bottle for full blood count analysis and ferritin assay, respectively. Results: The mean pre-delivery haemoglobin concentrations of the women in anaemic group and non-anaemic group were 9.5 ± 1.01 g/dl and 12.15 ± 1.07 g/dl, respectively, and their mean serum ferritin concentrations were 64.45 ± 138.76 µg/l and 32.83 ± 35.36 µg/l, respectively. The mean cord blood haemoglobin concentrations for anaemic and for non-anaemic groups were 12.54 ± 2.54 g/dl and 13.44 ± 2.23 g/dl (P = 0.02), respectively, and the mean cord blood serum ferritin concentrations (non-anaemic, 69.38 ± 78.88 µg/l; anaemic, 7.26 ± 115.60 µg/l) (P = 0.00) were higher in the newborns of non-anaemic than of anaemic mothers. Significant association was found between maternal anaemia and cord blood ferritin concentrations (P = 0.025). Conclusion: Maternal anaemia has significant effects on cord blood haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations

Orofacial manifestation of hematological disorders: Hemato-oncologic and immuno-deficiency disorders.

The aim of this paper is to review the literature and identify orofacial manifestations of hematological diseases with special reference to hemato-oncologic, immuno-deficiency disorders, and human immunodeficiency virus infection. A computerized literature search using MEDLINE was conducted for published articles on orofacial manifestations of hematological diseases with emphasis on hemato-oncologic and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Mesh phrases used in the search were: Oral diseases AND hematological disorders; orofacial diseases AND leukemias; orofacial lesions AND lymphomas; orofacial diseases AND multiple myeloma, orofacial manifestations AND HIV. The Boolean operator "AND" was used to combine and narrow the searches. The full texts of these articles were thoroughly examined. References in these articles also were manually searched non-Medline articles. Only relevant articles were selected for the review. Orofacial manifestation of malignant hematological diseases may present as primary clinical features due to infiltration of orofacial tissues, or as secondary due to the subsequent infiltration of normal bone marrow elements, or tertiary due to the side effects of the treatment. HIV-associated orofacial lesion may be a clinical indicator of HIV infection in otherwise healthy, undiagnosed individuals; an early clinical feature of HIV infection; clinical markers for the classification and staging of HIV disease or may be a predictor of HIV disease progression. Orofacial manifestations of malignant hematological diseases and HIV infection are not uncommon findings in clinical practice. These manifestations may be clinical indicators of hematologic disorders in otherwise healthy, undiagnosed individuals.

Orofacial manifestations of hematological disorders: Anemia and hemostatic disorders.

The aim of this paper is to review the literature and identify orofacial manifestations of hematological diseases, with particular reference to anemias and disorders of hemostasis. A computerized literature search using MEDLINE was conducted for published articles on orofacial manifestations of hematological diseases, with emphasis on anemia. Mesh phrases used in the search were: oral diseases AND anaemia; orofacial diseases AND anaemia; orofacial lesions AND anaemia; orofacial manifestations AND disorders of haemostasis. The Boolean operator "AND" was used to combine and narrow the searches. Anemic disorders associated with orofacial signs and symptoms include iron deficiency anemia, Plummer-Vinson syndrome, megaloblastic anemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassaemia and aplastic anemia. The manifestations include conjunctiva and facial pallor, atrophic glossitis, angular stomatitis, dysphagia, magenta tongue, midfacial overgrowth, osteoclerosis, osteomyelitis and paraesthesia/anesthesia of the mental nerve. Orofacial petechiae, conjunctivae hemorrhage, nose-bleeding, spontaneous and post-traumatic gingival hemorrhage and prolonged post-extraction bleeding are common orofacial manifestations of inherited hemostatic disorders such as von Willebrand's disease and hemophilia. A wide array of anemic and hemostatic disorders encountered in internal medicine has manifestations in the oral cavity and the facial region. Most of these manifestations are non-specific, but should alert the hematologist and the dental surgeon to the possibilities of a concurrent disease of hemopoiesis or hemostasis or a latent one that may subsequently manifest itself.