Benserazide as a potential novel fetal hemoglobin inducer: an observational study in non-carriers of hemoglobin disorders.

Induction of fetal hemoglobin production with hydroxyurea is an effective strategy in sickle cell disease and beta thalassemias, but up to 20% of patients do not respond to or cannot tolerate it. Benserazide is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and was noticed to induce gamma globin in preclinical models. We hypothesized that chronic treatment with benserazide-containing medication may be associated with increase in HbF production and in circulating F-cells. Blood samples were collected from 50 subjects including 35 patients on benserazide for Parkinson's disease, 10 healthy controls, and 5 patients with sickle cell anemia as positive controls for high fetal hemoglobin. We found a strong correlation between HbF and circulating F-cells in the entire population, but we found no significant increase in HbF and F-cell percentage in patients taking benserazide up to 700 mg daily. No hematologic abnormalities attributable to benserazide use after up to 22 years were detected. Our data support long-term safety and tolerability of benserazide at doses ten times higher than used in preclinical models to induce fetal hemoglobin. Further clinical trials enrolling patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia are warranted to provide insight into its efficacy to treat those populations.

Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolic Disease, Version 2.2021, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolic Disease focus on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with cancer who have developed or who are at risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). VTE is a significant concern among cancer patients, who are at heightened risks for developing as well as dying from the disease. The management of patients with cancer with VTE often requires multidisciplinary efforts at treating institutions. The NCCN panel comprises specialists from various fields: cardiology, hematology/hematologic oncology, internal medicine, interventional radiology, medical oncology, pharmacology/pharmacy, and surgery/surgical oncology. This article focuses on VTE prophylaxis for medical and surgical oncology inpatients and outpatients, and discusses risk factors for VTE development, risk assessment tools, as well as management methods, including pharmacological and mechanical prophylactics. Contraindications to therapeutic interventions and special dosing, when required, are also discussed.

Blood use and transfusion needs at a large health care system in Washington state during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: This report evaluates hospital blood use trends during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, and identifies factors associated with the need for transfusion and risk of death in patients with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Overall hospital blood use and medical records of adult patients with COVID-19 were extracted for two institutions. Multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to estimate associations between the outcomes transfusion and mortality and patient factors. RESULTS: Daily blood use decreased compared to pre-COVID-19 levels; the effect was more significant for platelets (29% and 34%) compared to red blood cells (25% and 20%) at the two institutions, respectively. Surgical and oncologic services had a decrease in average daily use of platelets of 52% and 30%, and red blood cells of 39% and 25%, respectively. A total of 128 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized, and 13 (10%) received at least one transfusion due to anemia secondary to chronic illness (n = 7), recent surgery (n = 3), and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n = 3). Lower baseline platelet count and admission to the intensive care unit were associated with increased risk of transfusion. The blood group distribution in patients with COVID-19 was 37% group O, 40% group A, 18% group B, and 5% group AB. Non-type O was not associated with increased risk of mortality. CONCLUSION: The response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic included changes in routine hospital operations that allowed for the provision of a sufficient level of care for patients with and without COVID-19. Although blood type may play a role in COVID-19 susceptibility, it did not seem to be associated with patient mortality.

Hypocholesterolemia and dysregulated production of angiopoietin-like proteins in sickle cell anemia patients.

Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTL) are responsible for inhibiting lipoprotein lipase activity, and ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 deficiencies have been shown to lower lipoprotein levels in animal models and in humans carrying loss-of-function mutations. Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a hereditary hemolytic anemia characterized by vaso-occlusive crises and end-organ damage, which is curiously associated with hypocholesterolemia and a low incidence of atherosclerosis, whose underlying mechanisms are unclear. We hypothesized that ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 dysregulation is responsible for the hypolipidemic phenotype in SCA. We measured circulating concentrations of ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 and correlated them with hemolytic biomarkers and lipoproteins in 40 patients with SCA and 30 control individuals. The association between hemolysis and low cholesterol levels in SCA was confirmed along with surprisingly higher levels of ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 in SCA patients than in controls. ANGPTL3 correlated with hemolysis markers LDH and reticulocyte counts, while ANGPTL4 did not. Our data show a paradoxical increase in production of ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 in SCA, which would be expected to cause hyperlipidemia, due to increased inhibition of lipoprotein lipase. ANGPTL3, exclusively produced by the liver, correlated with hemolysis markers, suggesting a possible hepatic response to hemolysis. Further functional studies and replication in larger cohorts are warranted to investigate the dysregulation of lipid metabolism in SCA.

Clinical relevance of heterozygosis for aceruloplasminemia.

Aceruloplasminemia is a rare form of brain iron overload of autosomal recessive inheritance that results from mutations in the CP gene, encoding the iron oxidase ceruloplasmin. Homozygous aceruloplasminemia causes progressive neurodegenerative disease, anemia, and diabetes, and is usually diagnosed late in life upon investigation of anemia, high ferritin, or movement disorders, but its heterozygous state is less characterized and believed to be silent. Here we report two heterozygotes for new mutations causing aceruloplasminemia from whom peripheral blood samples were collected for complete blood counts, iron studies, and genotyping by automated sequencing. We then performed a systematic review of preview reports of heterozygotes with data on genotype and clinical findings. Heterozygosity for aceruloplasminemia invariably causes reduced ceruloplasmin levels, and similarly to previews reports in the literature, our cases did not present with anemia. Mild hyperferritinemia was found only in two reports. Nevertheless, 5 out of 11 variants have been associated with significant neurological symptoms despite the presence of one wild-type alelle. This review contributes to better genetic counseling of heterozygotes for CP gene variants and supports that measuring ceruloplasmin levels may be useful when investigating patients with movement disorders or rare cases of unexplained high ferritin.

Hydroxycarbamide reduces eosinophil adhesion and degranulation in sickle cell anaemia patients.

Inflammation, leucocyte and red cell adhesion to the endothelium contribute to the pathogenesis of sickle cell anaemia. Neutrophils appear to be important for vaso-occlusion, however, eosinophils may also participate in this phenomenon. The role of eosinophils in the pathophysiology of sickle cell anaemia (SCA) and the effect of hydroxycarbamide (HC) therapy on the functional properties of these cells are not understood. Patients with SCA and those on HC therapy (SCAHC) were included in the study. SCAHC individuals presented significantly lower absolute numbers of eosinophils than SCA. Furthermore, SCAHC eosinophils demonstrated significantly lower adhesive properties, compared to SCA eosinophils. SCA and SCAHC eosinophils presented greater spontaneous migration when compared with control eosinophils. Baseline eosinophil peroxidase and reactive oxygen species release was higher for SCA individuals than for control individuals, as were plasma levels of eosinophil derived neurotoxin. SCAHC eosinophil degranulation was lower than that of SCA eosinophil degranulation. Eotaxin-1 and RANTES levels were higher in the plasma of SCA and SCAHC individuals, when compared with controls. These data suggest that eosinophils exist in an activated state in SCA and indicate that these cells play a role in the vaso-occlusive process. The exact mechanism by which HC may alter SCA eosinophil properties is not clear.

Erythropoiesis-driven regulation of hepcidin in human red cell disorders is better reflected through concentrations of soluble transferrin receptor rather than growth differentiation factor 15.

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a bone marrow-derived cytokine whose ability to suppress iron regulator hepcidin in vitro and increased concentrations found in patients with ineffective erythropoiesis (IE)suggest that hepcidin deficiency mediated by GDF-15 may be the pathophysiological explanation for nontransfusional iron overload. We aimed to compare GDF-15 production in anemic states with different types of erythropoietic dysfunction. Complete blood counts, biochemical markers of iron status, plasma hepcidin, GDF-15, and known hepcidin regulators [interleukin-6 and erythropoietin (EPO)] were measured in 87 patients with red cell disorders comprising IE and hemolytic states: thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, and cobalamin deficiency. Healthy volunteers were also evaluated for comparison. Neither overall increased EPO,nor variable GDF-15 concentrations correlated with circulating hepcidin concentrations (P = 0.265 and P = 0.872). Relative hepcidin deficiency was found in disorders presenting with concurrent elevation of GDF-15 and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), a biomarker of erythropoiesis, and sTfR had the strongest correlation with hepcidin (r(s) = 0.584, P < 0.0001). Our data show that high concentrations of GDF-15 in vivo are not necessarily associated with pathological hepcidin reduction, and hepcidin deficiency was only found when associated with sTfR overproduction. sTfR elevation may be a necessary common denominator of erythropoiesis-driven mechanisms to favor iron absorption in anemic states and appears a suitable target for investigative approaches to iron disorders.

Investigation of BMP6 mutations in Brazilian patients with iron overload.

BACKGROUND: Iron overload (IO) is a complex condition in which clinical, behavioral and genetic factors contribute to the phenotype. In multiethnic and non-Caucasian populations, mutations in HFE gene alone cannot explain IO in most of the cases, and additional genetic and environmental factors must be investigated. Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) play a central role in iron homeostasis by modulating HAMP transcription through the signaling pathway that includes SMAD and HJV. In this study, we aimed to explore the clinical relevance of BMP6 mutations in a cohort of Brazilian patients with IO. METHODS: 41 patients with IO were evaluated. Blood samples were collected to analyze BMP6 mutations through New Sequence Generations (NGS). Frequency of variants and mutations were analyzed and correlated with clinical and environmental characteristics. RESULTS: We identified BMP6 mutations in three patients with IO. The p.Arg257His mutation was identified in two patients and the p.Leu71Val mutation was identified in one patient. Two of these patients had additional risk factors for IO (HFE mutations and diabetes mellitus). CONCLUSION: BMP6 mutations, when combined to other genetic and clinical risk factors, may contribute to IO. Functional studies and THE evaluation of large cohorts are necessary to fully address BMP6 role in IO.

Extramedullary haematopoiesis in patients with thalassemia: a cross-sectional description of its prevalence, clinical features and survival.

INTRODUCTION: Despite knowledge advances on extramedullary haematopoiesis (EMH) in thalassemic patients, the real picture remains an open issue. OBJECTIVES: To assess EMH prevalence in patients with thalassemia major (TM) and intermedia (TI), to describe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and to explore clinical risk factors. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, images and clinical records of 184 consecutive patients with thalassemia who underwent T2* MRI between 2004 and 2011 were reviewed. Association of EMH with survival was investigated for patients with available follow-up charts. RESULTS: EMH was detected in 16/168 (9.5%) patients with TM (aged 19-49 years) and in 3/16 (18.8%) with TI (aged 36-41 years). Most (88%) had paravertebral thoracic and/or abdominal masses. Age was significantly associated with EMH risk (hazard ratio, [HR] 1.10/year; confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.18; p-value < 0.001), while lower pancreatic iron content by T2*MRI (HR: 0.94/ms; CI: 0.89-0.99; p-value = 0.049) was a protective factor. Estimated survival rate was superior for EMH-positive (n = 19) when compared to EMH-negative patients (n = 75) (p-value = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of EMH was 10.3% (19/184), presented mainly as tumoral masses of 3 to 10 cm. Age was a risk factor for EMH development, while lower pancreatic iron might be a protective factor in this cohort.

Cardiac iron overload evaluation in thalassaemic patients using T2* magnetic resonance imaging following chelation therapy: a multicentre cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2* technique is used to assess iron overload in the heart, liver and pancreas of thalassaemic patients. Optimal iron chelation and expected tissue iron response rates remain under investigation. The objective of this study was to analyse serum ferritin and the iron concentration in the heart, liver and pancreas measured by MRI T2*/R2* during regular chelation therapy in a real-world cohort of patients with thalassemia. METHODS: We evaluated thalassaemic patients ≥ 7 years old undergoing chelation/transfusion therapy by MRI and assessed serum ferritin at baseline and follow-up from 2004-2011. RESULTS: We evaluated 136 patients, 92% major thalassaemic, with a median age of 18 years, and median baseline ferritin 2.033ng/ml (range: 59-14,123). Iron overload distribution was: liver (99%), pancreas (74%) and heart (36%). After a median of 1.2 years of follow-up, the iron overload in the myocardium reduced from 2,63 Fe mg/g to 2,05 (p 0.003). The optimal R2* pancreas cut-off was 148 Hertz, achieving 78% sensitivity and 73% specificity. However, when combining the R2* pancreas cut off ≤ 50 Hertz and a ferritin ≤ 1222 ng/ml, we could reach a negative predictive value (NPV) of 98% for cardiac siderosis. Only 28% were undergoing combined chelation at baseline assessment, which increased up to 50% on follow up evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Chelation therapy significantly reduced cardiac siderosis in thalassaemic patients. In patients with moderate/severe liver iron concentration undergoing chelation therapy, ferritin levels and myocardium iron improved earlier than the liver siderosis.

Diagnosis and management of iron deficiency in chronic inflammatory conditions (CIC): is too little iron making your patient sick?

While iron deficiency remains the most common cause of anemia worldwide, low iron stores are associated with symptoms regardless of the presence of typical microcytic, hypochromic anemia and may be hard to recognize in patients with concurrent inflammation. Diagnosing and treating iron deficiency become more of a challenge because markers of iron status are influenced by low-grade inflammation present in common conditions, such as chronic kidney disease, cirrhosis, or heart failure. Here I present a pragmatic way of interpreting diagnostic lab tests to help clinicians recognize patients who are most likely to benefit from iron supplementation, choose between oral and parenteral administration, and make personalized decisions when patients do not fit usual guidelines.

Myocardial Iron Overload in Sickle Cell Disease: A Rare But Potentially Fatal Complication of Transfusion.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a frequent indication for chronic transfusion, which can cause iron overload. Excess iron often affects the liver, but not the heart in SCD. Magnetic resonance (MR) is recommended to detect myocardial iron overload (MIO) but its elevated cost requires optimized indication. We aimed to compile all published data on MIO in SCD upon the description of a fatal case of severe MIO in our institution, and to determine associated risk factors. We performed a systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines in two databases (PubMed and Web of Science). Inclusion criteria were publication in English, patients diagnosed with SCD, and reporting ferritin and MIO by MR. Twenty publications reported on 865 SCD adult and pediatric patients, with at least 10 other cases of MIO. The prevalence of MIO in chronically transfused SCD patients can be estimated to be 3% or less, and is associated with high transfusion burden, top-up transfusions, and low adherence to iron chelation. Cardiac siderosis in SCD is rarely reported, and increased awareness with better use of the available screening tools are necessary. Prospective studies should define the recommended chelation regimens depending on the severity of MIO.

Differences in heme and hemopexin content in lipoproteins from patients with sickle cell disease.

BACKGROUND: High blood cholesterol is associated with atherogenesis and endothelial dysfunction. The latter is present in hemolytic diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, whose carriers have hypocholesterolemia and low incidence of coronary artery disease. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to characterize cholesterol fractions in patients with sickle cell disease and explore the relationship among lipoproteins, varying degrees of hemolysis, and its biomarkers. METHODS: We recruited 37 healthy individuals, 39 with hemoglobin SC disease, and 40 with sickle cell anemia and quantified cholesterol fractions, heme resulting from hemoglobin breakdown, and its main scavenger protein hemopexin. RESULTS: Hypocholesterolemia was most significant in patients with sickle cell anemia, and cholesterol levels correlated positively with hemopexin. Nevertheless, patients still had higher relative low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation than healthy subjects. Analysis of lipoproteins isolated by density ultracentrifugation showed that the LDL fraction contained higher concentrations of heme than the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction, whereas HDL contained more hemopexin than LDL, albeit greatly reduced in patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that the abnormally low lipoprotein levels in sickle cell anemia correlate with hemolysis markers, particularly with hemopexin concentrations, along with significant reduction of this heme scavenger in HDL fractions. This may suggest an important role for HDL in the defense against heme-induced endothelial dysfunction in hemolytic diseases.

Cardiac iron overload evaluation in thalassaemic patients using T2* magnetic resonance imaging following chelation therapy: a multicentre cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2* technique is used to assess iron overload in the heart, liver and pancreas of thalassaemic patients. Optimal iron chelation and expected tissue iron response rates remain under investigation. The objective of this study was to analyse serum ferritin and the iron concentration in the heart, liver and pancreas measured by MRI T2*/R2* during regular chelation therapy in a real-world cohort of patients with thalassemia. Methods We evaluated thalassaemic patients ≥ 7 years old undergoing chelation/transfusion therapy by MRI and assessed serum ferritin at baseline and follow-up from 2004-2011. Results We evaluated 136 patients, 92% major thalassaemic, with a median age of 18 years, and median baseline ferritin 2.033ng/ml (range: 59-14,123). Iron overload distribution was: liver (99%), pancreas (74%) and heart (36%). After a median of 1.2 years of follow-up, the iron overload in the myocardium reduced from 2,63 Fe mg/g to 2,05 (p 0.003). The optimal R2* pancreas cut-off was 148 Hertz, achieving 78% sensitivity and 73% specificity. However, when combining the R2* pancreas cut off ≤ 50 Hertz and a ferritin ≤ 1222 ng/ml, we could reach a negative predictive value (NPV) of 98% for cardiac siderosis. Only 28% were undergoing combined chelation at baseline assessment, which increased up to 50% on follow up evaluation. Conclusions Chelation therapy significantly reduced cardiac siderosis in thalassaemic patients. In patients with moderate/severe liver iron concentration undergoing chelation therapy, ferritin levels and myocardium iron improved earlier than the liver siderosis.

[Beta thalassemia major and pregnancy during adolescence: report of two cases]. / Talassemia beta maior e gestação na adolescência: relato de dois casos.

Beta thalassemia major is a rare hereditary blood disease in which impaired synthesis of beta globin chains causes severe anemia. Medical treatment consists of chronic blood transfusions and iron chelation. We describe two cases of adolescents with beta thalassemia major with unplanned pregnancies and late onset of prenatal care. One had worsening of anemia with increased transfusional requirement, fetal growth restriction, and placental senescence. The other was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism and low maternal weight, and was admitted twice during pregnancy due to dengue shock syndrome and influenza H1N1-associated respiratory infection. She also developed fetal growth restriction and underwent vaginal delivery at term complicated by uterine hypotonia. Both patients required blood transfusions after birth and chose medroxyprogesterone as a contraceptive method afterwards. This report highlights the importance of medical advice on contraceptive methods for these women and the role of a specialized prenatal follow-up in association with a hematologist.

Urinary Bladder Dysfunction in Transgenic Sickle Cell Disease Mice.

BACKGROUND: Urological complications associated with sickle cell disease (SCD), include nocturia, enuresis, urinary infections and urinary incontinence. However, scientific evidence to ascertain the underlying cause of the lower urinary tract symptoms in SCD is lacking. OBJECTIVE: Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate urinary function, in vivo and ex vivo, in the Berkeley SCD murine model (SS). METHODS: Urine output was measured in metabolic cage for both wild type and SS mice (25-30 g). Bladder strips and urethra rings were dissected free and mounted in organ baths. In isolated detrusor smooth muscle (DSM), relaxant response to mirabegron and isoproterenol (1nM-10µM) and contractile response to (carbachol (CCh; 1 nM-100µM), KCl (1 mM-300mM), CaCl2 (1µM-100mM), α,ß-methylene ATP (1, 3 and 10 µM) and electrical field stimulation (EFS; 1-32 Hz) were measured. Phenylephrine (Phe; 10nM-100µM) was used to evaluate the contraction mechanism in the urethra rings. Cystometry and histomorphometry were also performed in the urinary bladder. RESULTS: SS mice present a reduced urine output and incapacity to produce typical bladder contractions and bladder emptying (ex vivo), compared to control animals. In DSM, relaxation in response to a selective ß3-adrenergic agonist (mirabegron) and to a non-selective ß-adrenergic (isoproterenol) agonist were lower in SS mice. Additionally, carbachol, α, ß-methylene ATP, KCl, extracellular Ca2+ and electrical-field stimulation promoted smaller bladder contractions in SS group. Urethra contraction induced by phenylephrine was markedly reduced in SS mice. Histological analyses of SS mice bladder revealed severe structural abnormalities, such as reductions in detrusor thickness and bladder volume, and cell infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our data demonstrate, for the first time, that SS mice display features of urinary bladder dysfunction, leading to impairment in urinary continence, which may have an important role in the pathogenesis of the enuresis and infections observed the SCD patients.

Current global scenario of guidelines on the management of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: a systematic literature review / Cenário global de diretrizes para o manejo da hemoglobinúria paroxística noturna: uma revisão sistemática da literatura

Objective: To report the outcomes of a systematic literature review of guidelines and consensus on the management of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and describe the main therapeutic options available worldwide. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in April 2018 with no time limit and reported in line with the PRISMA statement. The AGREE II instrument was used to determine the quality of each guideline included in the systematic review. Results: Eight guidelines/consensus were eligible, one developed by an international group, two in Spain, and one each in Turkey, Germany, Argentina, Australia and the United Kingdom. Supportive treatment with erythrocyte transfusion, anticoagulants and steroids is indicated by all guidelines and consensus. The use of erythropoietin is suggested by three of them. Recommendations for the prescription of eculizumab were consistent in all but one guideline, published in 2005. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is reported as the only potentially curative treatment for PNH, although its association with high mortality and morbidity rates is emphasized, being indicated for a selected group of patients. The AGREE II scores applied for each domain showed in general a low and heterogeneous methodological quality among guidelines. Conclusion: Despite the low and heterogeneous methodological quality, in general the comparison of guidelines and consensus for PNH management showed consistent recommendations regarding supportive care, eculizumab and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objetivo: Relatar os desfechos de uma revisão sistemática da literatura de diretrizes e documentos de consenso sobre o manejo da hemoglobinúria paroxística noturna (HPN) e descrever as principais opções terapêuticas disponíveis mundialmente. Métodos: Uma revisão sistemática da literatura foi conduzida em abril de 2018 sem limite temporal e realizada de acordo com a recomendação PRISMA. O instrumento AGREE II foi utilizado para determinar a qualidade de cada diretriz incluída na revisão. Resultados: Foram elegíveis oito diretrizes/consensos, um desenvolvido por um grupo internacional, dois na Espanha e um em cada um dos países a seguir: Turquia, Alemanha, Argentina, Austrália e Reino Unido. O tratamento de suporte com transfusão de eritrócitos, anticoagulantes e esteroides é indicado por todos os documentos. A eritropoetina é indicada por três deles. A recomendação de prescrição do eculizumabe foi consistente em todos, exceto em um publicado em 2005. O transplante alogênico de células-tronco hematopoéticas é reportado como o único tratamento com potencial curativo para a HPN, apesar de uma enfática associação com maiores taxas de mortalidade e morbidade, sendo indicado para grupos selecionados de pacientes. Os escores AGREE II aplicados para cada domínio demonstraram, em geral, qualidade metodológica baixa e heterogênea entre as diretrizes. Conclusão: Apesar da qualidade metodológica baixa e heterogênea, em geral, a comparação de diretrizes e consensos para o manejo da HPN demonstrou recomendações consistentes quanto ao uso de tratamento de suporte, eculizumabe e transplante alogênico de células-tronco hematopoiéticas.