Homozygous SPTA1-associated hereditary pyropoikilocytosis presenting as hydrops fetalis.

INTRODUCTION: Hereditary pyropoikilocytosis (HPP) is a heterogeneous inherited disorder of red blood cell (RBC) membrane and cytoskeletal proteins that leads to hemolytic anemia. HPP is characterized by marked poikilocytosis, microspherocytes, RBC fragmentation, and elliptocytes on peripheral blood smear. Mutations in SPTA1 can cause HPP due to a quantitative defect in α-spectrin and can lead to profound fetal anemia and nonimmune hydrops fetalis, which can be managed with intrauterine transfusion. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 26-year-old G4P2102 woman of Amish-Mennonite ancestry with a pregnancy complicated by fetal homozygosity for an SPTA1 gene variant (SPTA1c.6154delG) as well as severe fetal anemia and hydrops fetalis, which was managed with four intrauterine transfusions between 26 and 30 weeks gestation. Pre-transfusion peripheral smears from fetal blood samples showed RBC morphology consistent with HPP. The neonate had severe hyperbilirubinemia at birth, which has resolved, but remains transfusion-dependent at 6 months of life. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report that correlates homozygosity of the SPTA1c.6154delG gene variant with RBC dysmorphology and establishes the diagnosis of HPP.

Placental Histopathologic Findings in Fetal Hereditary Pyropoikilocytosis after Undergoing Successful Intrauterine Transfusion.

Background: The available literature on intrauterine transfusion focuses largely on its application in fetal alloimmunization rather than hereditary red cell disorders, with limited illustration of its associated histopathologic findings. Case report: We present the histologic findings in a placenta associated with preterm delivery of an infant with autosomal SPTA1 mutation following multiple intrauterine transfusions, including appropriate villous maturation, subchorionic organizing hematomas, hemosiderin-laden macrophages, and dysmorphic fetal erythrocytes within villous capillaries. Conclusion: Intrauterine transfusion is associated with placental histologic findings that reflect procedural changes without significant disruption of placental membranes or villous maturation.

Correlation of manual semi-quantitative and automated quantitative Ki-67 proliferative index with OncotypeDXTM recurrence score in invasive breast carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Ki-67 immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining is a widely used cancer proliferation assay; however, its limitations could be improved with automated scoring. The OncotypeDXTM Recurrence Score (ORS), which primarily evaluates cancer proliferation genes, is a prognostic indicator for breast cancer chemotherapy response; however, it is more expensive and slower than Ki-67. OBJECTIVE: To compare manual Ki-67 (mKi-67) with automated Ki-67 (aKi-67) algorithm results based on manually selected Ki-67 "hot spots" in breast cancer, and correlate both with ORS. METHODS: 105 invasive breast carcinoma cases from 100 patients at our institution (2011-2013) with available ORS were evaluated. Concordance was assessed via Cohen's Kappa (κ). RESULTS: 57/105 cases showed agreement between mKi-67 and aKi-67 (κ 0.31, 95% CI 0.18-0.45), with 41 cases overestimated by aKi-67. Concordance was higher when estimated on the same image (κ 0.53, 95% CI 0.37-0.69). Concordance between mKi-67 score and ORS was fair (κ 0.27, 95% CI 0.11-0.42), and concordance between aKi-67 and ORS was poor (κ 0.10, 95% CI -0.03-0.23). CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the limits of Ki-67 algorithms that use manual "hot spot" selection. Due to suboptimal concordance, Ki-67 is likely most useful as a complement to, rather than a surrogate for ORS, regardless of scoring method.