ABSTRACT
We evaluated hematological parameters in 375 Sicilian adults with Hb S trait: Hb S levels were 41.91 +/- 2.65% in males and 40.92 +/- 2.8% in females. RBC, MCV, PCV, MCH, MCHC and total hemoglobin levels were within the normal range. Only mean Hb A2 and Hb F levels were increased (Hb A2 = 2.78 +/- 0.2%; Hb F = 1.05 +/- 0.18%), although they remained inside the normal ranges when compared to healthy controls (Hb A2 = 2.48 +/- 0.19%; Hb F = 0.93 +/- 0.14%) (p less than 0.0005). We conclude that our population does not show the hematological abnormalities such as microcytosis and decreased Hb levels, observed in the Black, Indian, Saudi Arabian carriers, and that the presence of those abnormalities is probably related to the coexistence of alpha-thalassemia, rarely observed in Sicily.
Subject(s)
Anemia, Sickle Cell/blood , Hemoglobin, Sickle/metabolism , Sickle Cell Trait/blood , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , SicilyABSTRACT
We examined lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood from children with visceral leishmaniasis both in the active stage of the disease and after recovery. At diagnosis, CD2+ and CD4+ cells showed a significant decrease while CD8+ cells were significantly increased when compared with controls; CD4/CD8 ratio was inverted. All of these alterations returned to normal values 3 months after recovery.
