ObjectiveTo determine the correlation of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) with red cell width (RDW) and other analytic parameters of red blood cells (RBCs) in type II diabetic patients.DesignCross-sectional analytical study.Place and duration of the studyAl-Tibri Medical College and Hospital Karachi; from July 2017 to January 2018.Patients and methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on diagnosed type II diabetic patients visiting the outpatient department of medicine at Al-Tibri Medical College Hospital from July 2017 to January 2018. Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed according to American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines. After taking consent and conducting a clinical assessment (include history and physical examination), laboratory tests, such as fasting blood glucose, random blood glucose, complete blood count (CBC), and HbA1c, were collected on proforma.ResultsA total of 119 patients were eligible for the study with a mean age of 48.63±12.462 (range 24-76) years; among those, males were 74 (62.2%) and females were 45 (37.8%). The mean duration of diabetes mellitus (DM) was 6.735±3.759 (range 1-20) years. The mean hemoglobin of patients was 11.59±1.315 gm/dl. The mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was 76.65±11.121 fl and the mean RDW was found to be 18.287±4.352, with the highest value of 30.20. The mean MCH was 30.223±23.873 pg, with the highest value of 38.4 pg. The mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) was 28.214±4.7498 mg/dl.The HbA1c of the study population was found to be moderately uncontrolled and the mean HbA1c was 8.278±5.015%, with the highest value of 16.2%. The mean fasting blood sugar was 158±39.50 mg/dl while the mean random blood sugar was 236±57.390 mg/dl.The correlation of HbA1c with RDW turned out to be significant statistically (p-0.035) while other RBCs and/or hematological parameters, such as MCV, hemoglobin, and platelets, revealed no significant correlation.ConclusionThe study highlighted that RDW has a significant correlation with HbA1c and is an inexpensive and freely available test so it may be used as a marker of glycemic status.

IntroductionSphingobacterium multivorum is a Gram-negative, nonfermentative bacillus that rarely causes disease in humans. In the medical literature, only a few cases of infections caused by this organism have been reported. Almost all the reported cases of this infection were associated with conditions that decrease immunity.Case PresentationTo the best of our knowledge, we are reporting the first case of bacteremia and acute meningitis caused by S. multivorum in a young immunocompetent adult.

IntroductionCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe infectious disease that is not endemic in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Case PresentationWe report two cases of confirmed CCHF diagnosed in Dubai, UAE, during Hajj season 2010. Both patients presented with an acute history of high-grade fever, skin rash, and hematemesis.ConclusionsIn spite of maximal supportive measures and intravenous ribavirin therapy, both patients died within a few days from start of illness. More than 250 health care workers came into variable degrees of contact with the index cases, and none of them developed signs or symptoms suggestive of acquiring the illness. Health care workers from nonendemic regions should be aware of zoonotic hemorrhagic fevers imported via infected cattle and ticks and be able to diagnose and properly manage suspected cases in a timely manner. In addition, proper infection-control measures should be undertaken to prevent nosocomial spread of infection.

Objectives: The use of rituximab (MabThera ® ), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, is the most significant development in the management of anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) since the introduction of cytotoxic therapy in 1950. Truxima ® is the first anti-CD20 biosimilar approved for the same indications, and has been available in the UK since 2017. Significant cost savings have been reported when switching to biosimilars, which could lead to greater patient access to such treatment. Therefore, it is important to know whether patients' clinical and laboratory parameters respond equally well to biosimilars as to reference medicines, tested in clinical trials. Method:We retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes and laboratory parameters in 257 consecutive patients treated with anti-CD20 depletion therapy using MabThera or Truxima, for induction and maintenance of remission, in two tertiary renal centres between 2010 and 2019. Results:We demonstrated no difference between patients treated with MabThera or Truxima in rates of remission, relapse, and hospitalization with infection when used for either induction or maintenance of remission of AAV. In one hospital subgroup analysis, we showed comparable levels of hypogammaglobulinaemia, B-cell depletion, and frequency of infusion reactions, with no significant differences. Conclusion:The efficacy and safety of the rituximab biosimilar Truxima are not inferior to the originator MabThera in patients with AAV. Truxima represents a cheaper and safe therapeutic alternative that could increase patient access to rituximab.