Haematological profile of 21 patients with hairy cell leukaemia in a tertiary care centre of north India.

Background & objectives: Hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) is a B cell neoplasm which constitutes around 2 per cent of all the lymphoid leukaemias. It has a characteristic morphology and immunophenotypic profile. It is important to distinguish HCL from other B cell lymphoproliferative disorders due to availability of different chemotherapeutic agents. This study presents clinical, haematological and immunophenotypic profile of patients with HCL seen over a period of four years in a tertiary care hospital in north India. Methods: Twenty one cases of hairy cell leukaemia were analyzed for their clinical details, haemogram, bone marrow examination and immunophenotypic findings. Results: Age of the patients ranged from 28-76 yr with male predominance. Weakness and fever were commonest presentations. Splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, lymphadenopathy were seen in decreasing order of frequency. Anaemia was noted in all 21 patients, leukopenia in 15 and thrombocytopenia in 19 cases. Fourteen patients were pancytopenic. Bone marrow examination showed typical hairy cells in all cases. Immunophenotyping showed expression of CD19, CD20, CD103, CD25 and CD11c in all cases, while positivity was seen for CD79b in 93.7 per cent, kappa light chain restriction in 60 per cent and lambda in 40 per cent cases. Notably, 20 per cent showed CD10 and 12 per cent showed CD23 expression. Interpretation & conclusions: This study reveals some unusual findings in otherwise classical disease entity, like absence of palpable spleen, presence of lymphadenopathy, normal or elevated leukocyte counts, expression of CD10, which at times could be diagnostically challenging.

Avaliação hematológica e bioquímica em ratas prenhes tratadas com extrato de ginkgo bilob / Hematologic and biochemistry evaluation on pregnant rat treated with gingko biloba extract

Introdução: O extrato de Gingko biloba (GBE) é um fitoterápico usado no tratamento de doenças degenerativas e em estudos recentes tem sido demonstrado efeito nefro e hepatoprotetor de seus componentes. Material e métodos: No presente estudo, 120 ratas Wistar prenhes foram distribuídas em dois grupos experimentais ­ GB 15 e GB 21 ­ tratadas, respectivamente, do primeiro ao oitavo dia da prenhez e do oitavo ao vigésimo dia com 0, 3,5; 7,0 ou 14mg/kg/dia de extrato aquoso de GBE, via gavagem. Os animais foram eutanaziados por exsanguinação total, sob anestesia, no 15º dia ou no 20º dia de prenhez. Os seguintes parâmetros foram avaliados no sangue coletado: eritrograma, leucograma, dosagens séricas de ureia, creatinina, ALT, AST, colesterol e triglicérides. Resultados: Não foram encontradas alterações significativas no padrão hematológico de ratas tratadas nos grupos GB 15 e GB 21. Em relação ao perfil bioquímico, o grupo GB 15, tratado com as doses de 7 e 14mg/kg, evidenciou aumento dos níveis de colesterol e redução de ALT, ureia e creatinina. No grupo GB 21, tratado com as mesmas doses, não se observou aumento de colesterol, mas sim de ureia, enquanto que ALT e creatinina reduziram-se da mesma maneira que no grupo GB 15. Conclusões: Os resultados sugerem que o GBE não altera os padrões hematológicos, porém, no início da gestação aumenta os níveis de colesterol, enquanto que no final da gestação não altera o colesterol, aumentando a ureia, e durante os dois períodos de gestação reduz creatinina e ALT, o que parece confirmar os efeitos nefro e hepatoprotetor.

Introduction: The Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) is a phytotherapic used in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and recent studies have demonstrated nephro and hepatoprotector effects of its components. Material and methods: In this study 120 pregnant Wistar rats were distributed among two experimental groups - GB15 e GB21 ­ treated respectively from the first to eight day of pregnancy and to the eight to de 20th day, with zero, 3.5, 7 or 14mg/kg/day of aqueous extract of Gingko biloba by gavagem. Animals were euthanized by exsanguinations under anesthesia on 15th or 21th pregnancy day. The following parameters were analyzed in the blood hemogram, hematocrit, hemoglobin, total leukocytes, cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, creatinine, aspartato aminotransferase (AST/TGO), alanina aminotransferase (ALT/TGP). Results: No hematological alteration was observed in either group. With respect to biochemistry profile the GB15, group treated with 7 and 14mg/kg, showed higher level of cholesterol and lower level of ALT, urea and creatinin. In the group GB21, treated with the same dose, there was no cholesterol alteration but higher level of urea whereas ALT and creatinin where lower than control as in GB15 group. Conclusions: GBE seems do not alter hematological profile but at early gestation increase the cholesterol level. At latter gestation do not alter cholesterol but increase urea levels. At all period of the gestation the GBE decrease creatinine and ALT seems to confirm possible nepro and hepatic protector effect.

Is Fetal Hemoglobin Level A Prognostic Indicator For The Severity Of Sickle Cell Disease.

Genetic and environmental factors are believed to pay a role in the variation in clinical severity of sickle cell disease in different populating group. Among these, fetal Hb expression is one such epistatic factor which may ameliorate severity of the disease as it can reduced the polymerization sickle RBCs. The present work was undertaken to look for correlation between severity of the disease and the expression of HbF. A total of 110 sickle cell disease cases in the age group of 2-49 years were studied. The HbF levels varied from 2-24% with mean of 10.53+ 406%. Our findings did not shown any statistically significant correlation between HbF levels and clinical severity. Nevertheless the mean HbF levels were slightly higher in the group of patients not having any history of painful crisis, infections, need for hospitalisation or blood transfusions. Further the levels of HbS were significantly lower when the HbF levels were high (>10%). This suggests that variation in clinical severity in sickle cell disease may be more due to role of other genetic factors like associated alpha thalassaemia and the higher HbF may only offer an added advantage to these patients.