Hemoglobinopathies in the Hamilton region. II. Thalassemia traits and iron therapy

Between July 1973 and July 1974 all adult patients with hypochromic anemia and a mean corpuscular volume of 75 mum3 or less were screened for hemoglobinopathies. Of the 490 patients 105 had beta-thalassemia trait, 11 had alpha1-thalassemia trait, 4 had hemoglobin Lepore trait and 1 had hemoglobin H disease. Of 48 inpatients whose charts were reviewed 19 had been on oral iron therapy and 7 of them had been given iron intramuscularly. Of 27 outpatients interviewed 10 had been on intermittent iron therapy for 18 months or more; 4 had been given at least 1 g of intramuscular iron. Iron deficiency was not documented in any of these patients. Iron deficiency should be diagnosed by means other than the presence of a hypochromic picture in the peripheral blood before iron therapy is instituted, particularly in communities with a large population of Mediterranean or South-East Asian origin.

Retina of the South American lungfish, Lepidosiren paradoxa Fitzinger

The characteristic feature of the retina of Lepidosiren paradoxa is the hugeness (20–25 μm) and sparse-ness of the cells which compose it. The epithelial layer is well pigmented. The visual cells may be classified into rods and single cones which possess a large oil droplet and a smaller paraboloid. Neither the epithelial pigment nor the visual cells show retinomotor responses. Landolt's clubs arising from the bipolar cells and terminating amidst the epithelial cell processes are present and resemble those of another Dipnoan, Protopterus. The ratio of photoreceptor, bipolar, and ganglion cells is about 2:2:1, indicating a very low degree of summation. There is no noticeable difference among the dorsal, vental, temporal, and nasal regions of the retina. The similarity of this retina to that of other dipnoans and urodeles is briefly discussed. It appears as if the growth of the eye were arrested (neoteny) during the evolution of this genus because of the insignificant role of vision in its life.

Hemoglobin abnormalities in neoplastic hematological disorders

Fetal hemoglobin (F) and hemoglobin A(2) were estimated in 35 patients with malignant hematological disorders. In 9 out of 10 patients with morphological and cytochemical features of acute myeloblastic leukemia the hemoglobin F was greater than 2%. Of the other 25 patients investigated only one patient with polycythemia rubra vera had a hemoglobin F level of more than 2%. Estimation of fetal hemoglobin may be of value in the classification of acute leukemias and the increased level observed probably reflects disturbed hemoglobin synthesis in the acute myeloblastic type.

Electroretinographic determination of spectral sensitivity in albino and pigmented brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis, Mitchill)

A technique for recording electroretinograms from the unpunctured eyes in situ of living, anesthetized fish is described. This technique permits the use of the same fish in a number of experiments over a period of weeks, months, or years. Using this technique the spectral sensitivity of dark-adapted (scotopic) and light-adapted (photopic) fish was measured at 13 bands of the visible spectrum. The scotopic curves of albino and pigmented trout thus obtained in the winter have their maxima around 525 nm which differ from that of the absorption spectrum of the scotopic pigment in situ and in vitro of older fish obtained in the summer. The photopic curve of the pigmented fish is a broad one with humps around 425 nm, 545 nm, and 595 nm. The albino's curve has a relatively narrow band with a peak around 630 nm and a shoulder at about 550 nm. The difference between the shapes of the two curves may be ascribed to the increase in the intensity of light of longer wavelengths within the eyeball of the albino, due to reflection from blood vessels and sclera caused by the absence of pigmentation.