Effect of Anemia in Postoperative Outcomes of Autologous Breast Reconstruction Surgery

BACKGROUND

The true effects of anemia on postoperative surgical outcomes in autologous breast reconstruction surgery are unknown. We intended to evaluate the effect of chronic anemia on surgical outcomes in autologous breast reconstruction surgeries using a large national database.

METHODS

Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, we examined the clinical data of patients who underwent immediate or delayed autologous breast reconstruction surgery from 2012 to 2014. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to independently evaluate the effect of chronic anemia on postoperative outcomes.

RESULTS

Totally, 55,839 patients underwent autologous breast reconstruction surgery (immediate: 40% vs. delayed: 60%) during this period. Overall, 6.0% of patients had chronic anemia at the time of surgery. Compared with patients without chronic anemia, patients with chronic anemia had a significantly higher complication rate (19.8% vs. 9.4%) and a longer mean length of hospital stay (5.4 vs. 3.7 days). Postoperative complications were significantly higher in patients with chronic anemia compared with patients without chronic anemia except for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and fat necrosis. Multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that chronic anemia was independently associated with an increased overall complication rate (adjusted odds ratio: 2.20). Also, multivariate regression analyses showed that chronic anemia was an independent risk factor of all the evaluated postoperative complications except VTE, stroke and fat necrosis.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that chronic anemia was a significant predictor factor of morbidity in autologous breast reconstruction including flap failure. Correction of anemia prior to breast reconstruction may help reduce poor surgical outcomes related to chronic anemia.

A randomized, 29-day, dose-ranging, efficacy and safety study of daprodustat, administered three times weekly in patients with anemia on hemodialysis

Background

Daprodustat is a hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor currently being investigated as a treatment for anemia of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in both dialysis and nondialysis patients. In clinical studies to date, daprodustat has been administered orally as a once-daily regimen. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study characterized the initial dose-hemoglobin response as well as the efficacy and safety of three times weekly (TIW) daprodustat in hemodialysis patients switched from stable recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO), in accordance with a TIW hemodialysis schedule.

Methods

103 patients on hemodialysis with baseline hemoglobin of 9.0 to 11.5 g/dL and previously receiving a stable dose of rhEPO or its analogs were randomized 1:1:1:1:1 to receive daprodustat 10, 15, 25, or 30 mg or placebo TIW over 29 days.

Results

Mean baseline hemoglobin was 10.6 g/dL for the placebo group and each daprodustat cohort. Daprodustat produced dose-dependent changes in mean hemoglobin from baseline to day 29. Using a Bayesian approach, the estimated dose conversion ratio between once-daily and TIW daprodustat was ~ 2.0 across the evaluated dose range using an E_max model. Daprodustat was generally well tolerated, with an adverse event (AE) profile consistent with the hemodialysis population.

Conclusions

These data help inform the appropriate dose conversion ratio to be applied to daily doses to obtain equivalent daprodustat TIW doses and suggest TIW treatment with daprodustat can treat anemia of CKD safely, supporting future long-term studies for this indication using a TIW dosing regimen.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02689206; date registered: 02/11/2016.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12882-019-1547-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Recurrent Fever and Failure to Thrive in an 11-Year-Old Boy

Recurrent fever is frequent among children and mostly associated with viral infections inoculated via social contacts with others of the same age. Rarely, severe conditions such as hematological malignancies, pediatric rheumatoid diseases, chronic infections, or inherited recurrent fever syndromes are causative. Herein, we present the case of an 11-year-old boy with frequently recurring high-fever episodes since early childhood, failure to thrive, and iron deficiency who was found to have classical celiac disease (CD) with highly elevated tissue transglutaminase and anti-gliadin antibodies and marked duodenal villous atrophy. Upon implementation of a gluten-free diet, the boy ceased to have fevers, antibodies decreased markedly, his iron status improved, and he significantly gained weight. Although infrequent, recurrent fever should be included into the polymorphic clinical picture of CD, and the threshold of testing for diagnostic antibodies should be low in such patients.

Dual-probe (colorimetric and fluorometric) detection of ferritin using antibody-modified gold@carbon dot nanoconjugates

A dual-mode assay is described for immunological determination of the anemia biomarker ferritin. It is based on the use of a gold@carbon dot (Au@CD) nanoconjugate as a colorimetric and fluorescent probe. Au@CD is hydrophilic, easily surface modified and stable in aqueous solution. The Au@CD have a red color with blue-green fluorescence and were modified with antibody against ferritin. This allows bi-modal detection of ferritin. Assays can be performed in phosphate buffer and were also analyzed in (Bovine Serum Albumin) BSA and (Fetal Bovine Serum) FBS. Detection is based on antigen-antibody interaction underlying the classical sandwich model. Response to ferritin can be detected by spectrophotometry (at 570 nm) or fluorescence (at excitation/emission maxima of 354/454 nm). Under optimal conditions, the assay has a linear response in the 1 to 120 ngmL^-1 ferritin concentration range and detection limits of 20 ng (colorimetrically) and 64 ng (fluorometrically). Graphical abstract Schematic representation of the function of the designed nanoprobe. The Au@CD nanoconjugates are functionalized with ferritin antibody in the initial step which specifically interacts with ferritin molecules leading to aggregation and subsequent changes in the optical and fluorescence signals.

Incidence of Clinically Significant (≤10 g/dL) Late Anemia in Elderly Patients with Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Imatinib

BACKGROUND

In elderly patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) responsive to imatinib, the incidence of clinically significant (CS) late chronic anemia is still unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To highlight this issue, we revised retrospectively 81 CML patients aged >60 years treated at our Institution with front-line imatinib for at least 24 months in durable complete cytogenetic response (CCyR). CS late chronic anemia was defined as the presence of persistent (>6 months) and otherwise unexplained Hb levels ≤10 g/dL, which occurred >6 months from imatinib start.

RESULTS

A condition of CS late chronic anemia occurred in 22 out of 81 patients (27.2%) at different intervals from imatinib start. Seven out of 22 patients (31.8%) needed packed red cell transfusions during the follow-up. At diagnosis, patients who developed CS late chronic anemia were significantly older and had a lower Hb median level. Six out of 22 patients with CS late chronic anemia received subcutaneous recombinant alpha-erythropoietin (EPO) at the standard dosage of 40,000 IU weekly: all 6 patients achieved an erythroid response. A significantly worse event-free survival (EFS) in patients with untreated CS late chronic anemia was observed (p = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

CS late chronic anemia during long-term treatment with imatinib is a common complication in responsive elderly patients, with worse EFS if untreated. Results with EPO are encouraging, but larger studies are warranted to define its role.

Dangguibuxue decoction abolishes abnormal accumulation of erythroid progenitor cells induced by melanoma

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGIC RELEVANCE

Dangguibuxue decoction (DGBX), is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that contains two types of materials used to treat anemia. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect and mechanism of DGBX on abolishing erythroid progenitor cell (Ter119⁺CD71⁺) accumulation induced by melanoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

B16/F10 melanoma cells were used to establish transplanted and metastatic melanoma models. DGBX or normal saline were administered intragastrically daily after the models were established. Tumor sizes and metastatic nodules were observed after tumor cell inoculation. To further test the function of DGBX on erythroid progenitor cell (EPC) accumulation and immunosuppressive abilities, the percentage of EPCs in the blood, and spleen were quantified with flow cytometry. The proportion of CD8⁺ T cells and related functional mediators, IFN-γ and TNF-α,were also quantified with flow cytometry. To further strengthen our in vivo observations, DGBX serum was prepared from the rats three days after DGBX was administered. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was carried out to control the quality of the experiments. B16/F10 melanomacells were cultured with DGBX serum, and proliferation and apoptosis were observed with the CCK8 assay and AnnexinV/7AAD staining, respectively. EPCs were isolated from B16/F10-bearing mice and cultured under erythroid differentiation conditions. EPCs were treated with DGBX serum, and mature red cell proportions and cell denucleations were tested with flow cytometry and Giemsa staining of the cultured EPCs. Flow cytometry and qPCR were used to analyze the effects of DGBX on the expression of key molecules involved in erythroid development and to explore the mechanism by which DGBX relieves abnormal EPC accumulation.

RESULTS

DGBX treatments significantly reduced B16 melanoma tumor sizes and metastatic nodules. Most importantly, our study strongly suggested that DGBX could alleviate anemia, and systematically enhance anti-tumor immune responses by reducing abnormal EPC accumulation. Moreover, DGBX serum treatments had no direct effect on tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis, but could promote EPCs to differentiate into mature red blood cells, in vitro. Mechanistically, at least in part, DGBX relieved abnormal EPC accumulation by altering the "master switch" transcription factors, Pu.1 and Gata-1.

CONCLUSIONS

DGBX significantly alleviates abnormal tumor-induced EPC accumulation, inhibits B16 melanoma progression, and enhances anti-tumor immune responses.

Anemia and clinical outcomes in patients with non-dialysis dependent or dialysis dependent severe chronic kidney disease: a Danish population-based study

BACKGROUND

Routine clinical evidence is limited on clinical outcomes associated with anemia in patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD).

METHODS

We linked population-based medical databases to identify individuals with severe CKD (eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m²) in Northern Denmark from 2000 to 2016, including prevalent patients as of 1 January 2009 or incident patients hereafter into the study. We classified patients as non-anemic (≥ 12/≥ 13 g/dl hemoglobin (Hgb) in women/men), anemia grade 1 (10-12/13 g/dl Hgb in women/men), 2 (8-10 g/dl Hgb), and 3+ (< 8 g/dl Hgb), allowing persons to contribute with patient profiles and risk time in consecutively more severe anemia grade cohorts. Patients were stratified by dialysis status and followed for clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

We identified 16,972 CKD patients contributing with a total of 28,510 anemia patient profiles, of which 3594 had dialysis dependent (DD) and 24,916 had non-dialysis dependent (NDD) severe CKD. Overall, 14% had no anemia, 35% grade 1 anemia, 44% grade 2 anemia and 17% grade 3+ anemia. Compared to patients with no anemia, adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for NDD patients with grade 3+ anemia were elevated for incident dialysis (1.91, 95% CI 1.61-2.26), any acute hospitalization (1.74, 95% CI 1.57-1.93), all-cause death (1.82, 95% CI 1.70-1.94), and MACE (1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.26). Similar HRs were observed among DD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Among NDD or DD patients with severe CKD, presence and severity of anemia were associated with increased risks of incident dialysis for NDD patients and with acute hospitalizations, death and MACE for all patients.

The contribution of dietary and non-dietary factors to socioeconomic inequality in childhood anemia in Ethiopia: a regression-based decomposition analysis

Objective

There is a scarcity of evidence on socioeconomic inequalities of childhood anemia in Ethiopia. We determined the magnitude of socioeconomic inequality in anemia and the contribution of dietary and non-dietary factors to the observed inequality, using a nationally representative data of 2902 children included in the 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey. The data were collected following a multistage, stratified cluster sampling strategy. We followed the Blinder–Oaxaca regression-based approach to decompose the inequality and determine the relative contribution (%) of the dietary and non-dietary factors to the observed inequality.

Result

We found a significant pro-poor socioeconomic inequality in childhood anemia in Ethiopia. A third (~ 33%) of the inequality was attributable to compositional differences in the dietary determinants of anemia (dietary diversity, meal frequency, and breastfeeding factors). Non-dietary factors like residence place, maternal education, and birth weight) jointly explained ~ 36% of the inequality. Maternal education was the single most important factor, accounting alone for ~ 28% the inequality, followed by rural residence (~ 17%) and dietary diversity (~ 16%). Efforts to narrow socioeconomic gaps and/or designing equity sensitive interventions by prioritizing the poor in health/nutrition interventions stands worth of consideration to reduce the burden of childhood anemia in Ethiopia and beyond.

Assessing agreement of hemoglobin and three- fold conversion of hematocrit as methods for detecting anemia in children living in malaria-endemic areas of Calabar, Nigeria

Background

One of the major causes of anemia, defined as the reduction in the level of hemoglobin or red blood cells (RBCs) in the blood, in children in sub-Saharan Africa is malaria. Anemia is diagnosed by using either the hematocrit method or by measuring the hemoglobin concentration.

Aims

To evaluate the relationship and agreement between hemoglobin and three-fold conversion of hematocrit results of participants in a clinical trial.

Materials and Methods

This is a cross-sectional study that obtained data from a multi-center clinical trial that took place from 2007 to 2008 in public health facilities in Calabar, Nigeria. The hemoglobin and hematocrit results of 494 children who had ≥2000 parasite density recruited were pooled to evaluate the relationship and agreement between the two methods. The difference between the measures against the mean of the two measures was plotted according to the theory of Bland and Altman.

Results

The mean age of the children was 34 months, with approximately equal number of boys and girls. The measured hemoglobin was lower than the calculated hemoglobin in 84.5% of the children. The result showed that lower the hemoglobin concentration, the higher the chances that the three-fold hematocrit conversion overestimates hemoglobin levels in the participants.

Conclusions

The three-fold hematocrit conversion of hemoglobin estimation is a less reliable method than the measured hemoglobin in anemic children in the study setting.

Does aging have an impact on hemoglobin? Study in elderly population at rural teaching hospital

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of anemia increases with age. Some serious underlying conditions may lead to anemia in the old age. The present study was undertaken to detect and do morphological typing of anemia and further delineate etiological factors in elderly patients.

METHODS

In this hospital-based prevalence study carried out a tertiary care center over one and half years, a total of 90 patients were fully evaluated for etiology and typing of anemia in elderly (>60 years age) patients. Details of other significant medical and surgical history were noted. Laboratory investigations were conducted, which included complete hemogram, peripheral blood smear, reticulocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate estimation, serum urea, serum creatinine and serum lactate dehydrogenase, bone marrow examination (with Prussian blue marrow iron staining), serum iron and serum total iron-binding capacity, serum ferritin, and stool and urine examination.

RESULTS

The mean hemoglobin as per age was 60-64 years- 5.95 gm%, 65-69 years - 6.7 gm%, 70-74 years - 6.58 gm%, and 75-79 years - 6.87 gm%. The difference not being significant (p = 0.33). Morphologically, 53 patients (24 males and 29 females) had microcytic anemia, 27 (17 males and 10 females) had normocytic anemia, and 10 (8 males and 2 females) had macrocytic anemia. Anemia of chronic disease (ACD) was the most common occurrence (50, 55.56%), followed by iron deficiency anemia (IDA) (27, 30%), macrocytic anemia (9, 10%), and others 4 (4.44%). The cause of anemia was found in 10 out of 27 (37.03%) patients in the IDA group, 28 out of 50 (56%) in the ACD group, whereas the etiology was discernible in only one out of nine cases (11.1%) of macrocytic anemias.

CONCLUSION

There was no significant difference observed in the mean hemoglobin levels as the age increased. Morphologically, the majority of the patients had microcytic anemia, followed by normocytic anemia. A population-based study is recommended for further assessment of the prevalence and causes of anemias in asymptomatic elderly subjects.

Does Obstructive Sleep Apnea Increase Cognitive Deficits in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease?

OBJECTIVES

Although pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is estimated to affect 2-3% of the general population, its prevalence in sickle cell disease (SCD) is much higher, with research suggesting a prevalence rate of upwards of 40%. Despite the similar underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of neurocognitive effects in pediatric OSA and SCD, there is a scarcity of information on how these two conditions interact. The aim of this study was to better understand the contribution of sleep apnea to neurocognitive deficits in children diagnosed with SCD.

METHOD

This study assessed cognitive function in 26 children with comorbid SCD and OSA, 39 matched comparisons with SCD only, and 59 matched comparisons in children without a chronic health condition.

RESULTS

There were significant differences on measures of processing speed and reading decoding, with children without a chronic health condition scoring better than both chronic health condition groups. Additionally, the no chronic health condition group performed better on a test of quantitative knowledge and reasoning and a test of visual-spatial construction than the SCD-only group. Contrary to our hypotheses, there were no between-group differences suggesting an additive impact of OSA on cognition. Exploratory analyses revealed associations within the group that had OSA showing that more severe OSA correlated with lower performance on measures of processing speed and quantitative knowledge/reasoning.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with comorbid OSA and SCD do not present with greater deficits in cognitive functioning than children with SCD alone. However, severe OSA may confer additional risk for neurocognitive impairments.

Comparison of Iron alone and Zinc Plus Iron Supplementation Effect on the Clinical and Laboratory Features of Children with Iron Deficiency Anemia

Background: Childhood Iron deficiency anemia is one of the main health problems around the world especially underdeveloped countries. Supplementation with micronutrients specifically iron supplementation can be considered as a therapeutic strategy to prevent and treatment of this type of anemia. The aim of the present study is to compare the therapeutic effects of zinc plus iron and iron alone supplementation on the clinical and laboratory features of children with iron deficiency anemia referred to our Hospital in 2016. Materials and Methods: 88 patients aged 6 months to 4 years old with iron deficiency anemia and after applying exclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups to receive zinc plus iron sulfate or iron sulfate alone supplement for one month. After treatment, clinical symptoms and lab test data including CBC, TIBC and serum iron and ferritin levels were again evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS15. Results: After one month of treatment, the clinical symptoms relived significantly in both groups. Also, there was significant changes between the mean value of laboratory parameters before and after treatment within each group (P <0.05). However, after one month of treatment there was no significant difference between the two groups (P> 0.05). Conclusion: The study revealed both iron alone and zinc plus iron supplementation are effective on the treatment of iron deficiency anemia but there are no significant difference and preference between these two types of treatment.

Prognostic Impact of Restless Legs Syndrome on Patients with Heart Failure

The restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move the legs or arms for relief of uncomfortable or unpleasant sensations. Prevalence and prognostic impact of RLS on patients with heart failure (HF) remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic impact of RLS on HF patients.Consecutive 338 HF patients were evaluated for RLS and divided into two groups on the basis of presence of RLS: HF patients with RLS (RLS group, n = 29) and HF patients without RLS (non-RLS group, n = 309). We compared clinical characteristics, parameters of laboratory data and echocardiography, and rate of follow-up cardiac events including worsening HF and cardiac death between the two groups. Compared with the non-RLS group, the RLS group had higher prevalence of anemia (65.5% versus 40.8%, P = 0.010), higher usage of inotropic agents (31.0% versus 15.2%, P = 0.028), higher levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (570.8 versus 215.8 pg/mL, P = 0.018), and lower levels of left ventricular ejection fraction (40.4% versus 48.4%, P = 0.019). By contrast, age, gender, prevalence of other co-morbidities and medications were comparable between the groups. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the cardiac event rate was significantly higher in the RLS group than in the non-RLS group (log-rank P = 0.034). In the Cox proportional hazard analysis, RLS was a predictor for cardiac events in HF patients (hazard ratio: 1.783, 95% confidence interval: 1.038-3.063).RLS is associated with adverse prognosis in HF patients.

Anemia and Bariatric Surgery: Results of a National French Survey on Administrative Data of 306,298 Consecutive Patients Between 2008 and 2016

BACKGROUND

Bariatric surgery (BS) has grown exponentially in France, and long-term anemia due to micronutrient deficiencies has become common.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to assess the long-term risk of anemia after BS and to investigate the factors associated with the occurrence of this complication.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from the French National Health Service database on patients who had undergone gastric bypass (GB), sleeve gastrectomy (SG), or adjustable gastric banding (AGB), between 2008 and 2016 were extracted. Only patients with a primary intervention were considered.

RESULTS

Data from 306,298 patients (143.733 SG, 79.188 GB, and 36.413 AGB) were analyzed. Overall, 12.930 of them (5.0%) had a diagnosis of anemia due to micronutrient deficiencies as main diagnosis or related diagnosis at time of a hospital stay between 2008 and 2016. In multivariate analysis, GB surgery, female gender, age younger than 52 years, and 25-OH vitamin D deficiency were positively associated with the occurrence of anemia whereas hospital procedural volume was negatively associated. The risk to be diagnosed with anemia after BS was 13.0% after a GB, 5.6% after a SG and 4.0% after an AGB (Log-rank p < 0.0001). The hazard ratio for anemia after GB compared to SG was 2.0 (95% CI 1.9-2.1), adjusted for age and gender.

CONCLUSION

In France, between 2008 and 2016, 5% of patients had anemia after BS. The risk to develop anemia was 2-fold higher after a GB than after a SG. Young women should be particularly aware of this long-term risk.

[Clinical analysis of 36 cases of idiopathic intracranial hypertension complicated with iron deficiency anemia]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, imaging findings and prognosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) patients complicated with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Methods: A total of 307 cases of IIH patients hospitalized in Beijing Tongren Hospital were retrospectively screened between January 1, 2011 and February 28, 2018. There were 49 anemia cases (15.96%) and 45 IDA cases (14.66%), respectively. Finally, 36 IDA patients were enrolled. The clinical characteristics, imaging findings, treatment and prognosis of these patients were analyzed. Results: IIH combined with IDA was more common in women of childbearing age (34/36). There were 30 obese and overweight cases (83.33%), with multiple subacute or chronic course of disease. The visual symptoms in the early IIH patients were first diagnosed in the Department of Ophthalmology. The first symptom was headache with/without visual symptoms (27 cases (75%)). Head MRI detected empty sella or partial empty sella, and 2 cases of venous sinus thrombosis were found in DSA examination. Of the 34 female patients, 24 had simple menometrorrhagia or menstrual disorder. All patients were given methyl acetate to reduce the intracranial pressure and iron therapy. Five patients received low molecular weight heparin-warfarin sequential treatment, 5 cases underwent gynecologic surgery and 2 male cases received hemorrhoid operation. There were 7 cases underwent lumbar cisterna-peritoneal shunt for visual impairment. During the follow-up, intracranial pressure decreased and visual function of patients improved significantly. Conclusions: IIH is frequently found in obese or overweight women at childbearing age and IDA may be an important cause of IIH. IIH can cause serious irreversible visual impairment. Therefore, early identification and active treatment should be performed. Correction of anemia can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of IIH. Operation should be employed for IIH patients with poor visual function or rapid progress, in order to reduce intracranial pressure and improve prognosis as soon as possible.

Fever and Leg Pain: Consider ALL the Diagnoses

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer diagnosed in the United States. The disease causes a decrease in hematopoiesis, so children often present with symptoms related to anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia. Symptoms for this malignancy may have significant overlap with other conditions such as osteomyelitis. Case Report: A 2-year-old male with no significant medical history presented with lower extremity pain and fever. Initial investigations, including imaging and complete blood count, led physicians to diagnose bilateral osteomyelitis. The patient was prescribed a course of antibiotics; however, his symptoms returned. Eventually, a bone marrow aspiration showed CD99 membrane-positive small round blue cell tumors. The patient was diagnosed with ALL. He was successfully treated with chemotherapy and is now in remission. Conclusion: This case demonstrates the importance of a broad differential diagnosis for a child presenting with leg pain and fever.

Plummer-Vinson Syndrome With Concomitant Factor VII Deficiency

Background: Plummer-Vinson syndrome (PVS), a rare disorder characterized by dysphagia, iron deficiency anemia, and esophageal webs, has principally been described in middle-aged women. This disorder is uncommon in the 21^st century because of the abundance of iron-fortified foods. Clotting factor deficiencies are also rare. Factor VII deficiency is a bleeding disorder characterized by the absence of a critical protein in the coagulation cascade. Case Report: We present a case of PVS associated with factor VII deficiency in a 26-year-old African American female. The patient had a history of anemia that was repeatedly attributed to menstrual bleeding and dysphagia for 10 years. She presented with symptomatic anemia requiring transfusion. She reported a history of food getting stuck in her chest, and workup revealed esophageal webs with no evidence of overt luminal gastrointestinal bleeding. Coagulation laboratory tests revealed the incidental finding of a borderline increased prothrombin time. Hematologic studies confirmed the presence of factor VII deficiency. Conclusion: To our knowledge, no case has been published about a patient diagnosed with PVS and concomitant factor VII deficiency. Our case illustrates several learning points: (1) PVS is an uncommon disorder that may still be diagnosed in a developed country in the 21^st century; (2) PVS requires close follow-up and esophageal surveillance because of the increased risk of esophageal cancer; (3) factor VII exhibits a high degree of phenotypic variability; (4) phenotype in factor VII deficiency does not always correlate with factor VII activity, although life-threatening spontaneous bleeding is not expected with levels >2%.

Factors associated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agent hyporesponsiveness anemia in chronic kidney disease patients

Anemia is one of the most common problems in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite comprehensive investigations in several cases, definite causes of anemia frequently remain unknown. Our study aimed to analyze the factors that possibly affect anemia in CKD patients who were referred for hematology consultation. A total of 87 patients were retrospectively included in the cohort. Forty-four cases were excluded, including 30 cases with unavailable intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) data, 11 cases with bone marrow diseases (8 Pure red cell aplasia, 3 Myelodysplastic syndrome) and 3 cases with thalassemia. In total, 43 patients were analyzed. Patients with high iPTH had a significantly lower Hemoglobin (Hb) level and required a higher dose of erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) compared with the normal iPTH group (Hb 8.29 vs 9.24 mg/dL, P=0.032 and ESAs dose of 16,352.94 vs. 12,444.44 U/week, P=0.024). Univariate, followed by stepwise multivariate analysis was performed and determined that serum phosphate (PO4) was significantly associated with lower Hb level (P=0.01 and P=0.013, respectively). In addition, Hb level was inversely correlated with iPTH and serum phosphate (PO4) level (r=-0.54, P<0.001 and r=-0.47, P=0.005; respectively). Mineral disequilibrium is an important factor associated with anemia in ESA hyporesponsive CKD. Also, hyperphosphatemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism are significantly correlated with low Hb. As a result, we strongly suggest correction of mineral disequilibrium factors prior to performing bone marrow study.

Association between anemia and hematological indices with mortality among cardiac intensive care unit patients

Background

Anemia and elevated red cell distribution width (RDW) or mean corpuscular volume (MCV) are associated with an adverse prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease and critical illness. Limited data exist regarding these associations in unselected cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) patients.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of CICU patients between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015, with a hemoglobin (Hb) level measured at admission. Multivariable regression was performed to determine predictors of hospital mortality, and Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to determine post-discharge survival.

Results

We included 9644 patients with a mean age of 67.5 ± 15.1 years, including 3604 (37.4%) females. The median (IQR) values of Hb, MCV and RDW were 12.2 g/dL (10.6, 13.7), 90.7 fL (87.3, 94.2) fL, and 14.1% (13.3, 15.8), respectively. Anemia (admission Hb < 12 g/dL) was present in 4434 (46%) patients. A total of 845 (8.8%) patients died in the hospital. Patients with anemia had higher hospital mortality (11.3% vs. 6.6%, unadjusted OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.58–2.10, p < 0.001). After multivariable regression, admission Hb and MCV were not significantly associated with hospital mortality (both p > 0.1), while admission RDW (adjusted OR 1.12 per 1%, 95% CI 1.07–1.18, p < 0.001) was significantly associated with hospital mortality. Hospital survivors with lower Hb, higher MCV, or higher RDW had lower post-discharge survival.

Conclusion

Elevated RDW on admission was independently associated with higher hospital mortality in CICU patients. These data emphasize the importance of hematologic abnormalities for mortality risk stratification in CICU populations.

Graphic abstract

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00392-019-01549-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Health disparities and chronic disease associated with anemia in free clinics: A retrospective study of uninsured patients in Tampa Bay

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the diagnosis and management of anemic patients in free clinics around the Tampa Bay area.Methods: In this retrospective study we extracted data including demographics, chronic diseases, and laboratory values from medical charts of uninsured patients seen in 9 free clinics from January 2016 through December 2017 in the Tampa Bay area, FL, USA. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess relationships between socioeconomic variables and a documented history of anemia.Results: From two years of documented data, 6971 patients were included, of which 367 (5%) had a documented diagnosis of anemia. Most were women (315, 86%), and the median age was 41 years (6-91). Among the 367 patients with anemia,191 (52%) patients had an unspecified type of anemia, 144 (39%) were diagnosed with IDA, 16 (4%) with anemia of chronic disease, and the remaining were other uncommon causes. Only 67% (97/144) of IDA patients had documented iron replacement. Colonoscopies were documented in only 32 (9%) of all patients with anemia, and in 23 (16%) IDA patients. Several chronic diseases were statistically associated and comorbid with a diagnosis of anemia.Conclusions: Uninsured patients with IDA are prescribed iron and undergo colonoscopies at sub-optimal rates. Increasing resources, awareness, and education of providers in these settings could lead to improved treatment practices and decrease the risk of morbidity and mortality.

Prevalence and determinant factors of anemia in children aged 6-12 months after starting an iron supplement in the east of Iran

OBJECTIVE

Anemia in infants is a common problem, with regular iron supplementation the suggested policy for prevention and control of anemia. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the determining factors of anemia as well as the benefits of regular iron supplementation in 6- to 12-month-old children.

DESIGN/SETTING/SUBJECTS

In this cross-sectional study, 897 children aged from 6 to 12 months cared for at the Tabas Health Centers, affiliated with Birjand University of Medical Sciences, South Khorasan, Iran, were enrolled in the study. Demographic and anthropometric data as well as the level of hemoglobin were collected through interviews and laboratory tests, respectively. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-22 and stata-13. Chi², polychromic PCA, and logistic regression were used. The statistical significance level was 0.05.

RESULT

The prevalence of anemia, according to the WHO criterion for hemoglobin, was 36.8% (95% CI, 33.6-40.0). Its prevalence showed a decreasing trend as age and duration of iron supplement increased. Each 1-month increase in infant age was associated with a decreased risk of anemia [OR=0.88 (95% CI, 0.80-0.98)]. Anemia was not significantly different between genders. Individuals in the highest category for parity (≥3) were at a 2.3-fold greater risk of anemia compared with the lowest category [OR=2.35 (95% CI, 1.43-3.84)]. In contrast, individuals in the highest category for maternal age (>35 years) had a 62% lower risk of anemia compared with the reference category (<25 years) [OR=0.38 (95% CI, 0.20-0.72)].

CONCLUSION

Implementation of an iron supplementation plan in Iran has decreased anemia among 6- to 12-month-old children.

Relationship between anti-erythropoietin receptor autoantibodies and responsiveness to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in patients on hemodialysis: a multi-center cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

A decreased response to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) leads to refractory anemia and worse prognosis in patients with chronic kidney disease. We examined the association between autoantibodies to the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) and responsiveness to ESAs in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

METHODS

A total of 108 Japanese patients on maintenance hemodialysis at three institutions were enrolled. Sera from these patients were screened for anti-EPOR antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An ESA resistance index (ERI) was calculated, and patients in the highest ERI quartile were defined as ESA hyporesponsive.

RESULTS

Anti-EPOR antibodies were detected in 11 patients (10%). Body mass index and hemoglobin, platelet, magnesium, and ferritin levels decreased with higher ERI levels. On the other hand, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the prevalence of anti-EPOR antibodies increased with higher ERI levels. In multivariate analysis, the presence of anti-EPOR antibodies together with CRP was a significant risk factor for ESA hyporesponsiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

Anti-EPOR antibodies were detected in patients on maintenance hemodialysis, and these autoantibodies were independent factors for hyporesponsiveness to ESAs in these patients.

Anemia measurements to distinguish between viral and bacterial infections in the emergency department

The clinical diagnosis of acute infections in the emergency department is a challenging task due to the similarity in symptom presentation between virally and bacterially infected individuals, while the use of routine laboratory tests for pathogen identification is often time-consuming and may contain contaminants. We investigated the ability of various anemia-related parameters, including hemoglobin, red cell distribution width (RDW), and iron, to differentiate between viral and bacterial infection in a retrospective study of 3883 patients admitted to the emergency department with a confirmed viral (n = 1238) or bacterial (n = 2645) infection based on either laboratory tests or microbiological cultures. The ratio between hemoglobin to RDW was found to be significant in distinguishing between virally and bacterially infected patients and outperformed other anemia measurements. Moreover, the predictive value of the ratio was high even in patients presenting with low C-reactive protein values (< 21 mg/L). We followed the dynamics of hemoglobin, RDW, and the ratio between them up to 72 h post emergency department admission, and observed a consistent discrepancy between virally and bacterially infected patients over time. Additional analysis demonstrated higher levels of ferritin and lower levels of iron in bacterially infected compared with virally infected patients. The anemia measurements were associated with length of hospital stay, where all higher levels, except for RDW, corresponded to a shorter hospitalization period. We highlighted the importance of various anemia measurements as an additional host-biomarker to discern virally from bacterially infected patients.