Summary. Research is required to determine the optimal approach for prophylactic platelet transfusions in patients with haematological malignant disorders. It has been suggested that thresholds for prophylactic platelet transfusions of platelet counts below 10 × 109/l should be investigated, as these may be equivalent in clinical effectiveness and associated with lower costs and fewer complications. An important concern in such investigation is the accurate estimation of platelet counts below 10 × 109/l. This study aimed to further examine the potential reduction in platelet usage that could be made if a lowered platelet transfusion threshold of 5 × 109/l was used in conjunction with an immunoplatelet counting method. Clinical and laboratory data from 130 haematology patients were used. Standard platelet counting was performed using Bayer H3 and ABX Argos analysers. Immunoplatelet counting was performed by flow cytometry using anti‐CD61. The potential for reducing platelet transfusions included consideration of clinical criteria that influence prophylactic platelet transfusion use. The results indicated that the use of an immunoplatelet count with a 5 × 109/l platelet transfusion threshold would potentially reduce the number of transfusions by 10·4% in comparison with a 10 × 109/l threshold and standard automated platelet counting with the ABX Argos analyser, and increase the number of transfusions by 5·4% in comparison with the same threshold using the Bayer H3 analyser. The immunoplatelet count may aid the clinical decision to transfuse platelets, but would not necessarily lead to a reduced use of platelet transfusions.

Blood pressure (BP) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) has been reported to be lower than in persons in the general population. Data on arterial stiffness, which is an important risk factor for the progression of BP, are inconclusive for this patient population. Forty‐five adult patients with SCD and 40 controls matched for sex, age, and body mass index were studied. Brachial systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were significantly lower in the patient group (SBP 115.1±13.8 mm Hg vs 121.9±11.3 mm Hg and DBP 68.5±8.0 mm Hg vs 80.6±9.1 mm Hg, P<.05, respectively). Augmentation index (AIx), however, was significantly higher in SCD patients compared with healthy controls (24.9±9.6 for patients vs 12.4±10.8 for controls, P<.001), while carotid femoral pulse wave velocity was comparable between the two groups. The study shows that mechanisms other than arterial elasticity are involved in the low BP phenotype of patients with SCD.

Normochromic normocytic anemia during pregnancy reflects the significant increase in plasma volume, which disproportionately exceeds the increase in the red cell volume. In beta-thalassemia (beta-thal) trait carriers who become pregnant the plasma volume expansion may cause more pronounced anemia because the anemia of pregnancy is added to the pre-existed hypochromic microcytic anemia. In beta-thal women, pregnancy outcome and obstetric complications do not differ from the general population. Anemia in beta-thal carriers is generally not severe enough to warrant anxiety. No specific therapy is indicated and pregnant women generally require only supportive care with an anticipated favorable pregnancy outcome.

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Background: Effective iron chelation and other supportive treatment have a substantial impact on survival prolongation of thalassemic patients, who may reach late adulthood, and therefore, may manifest various neoplastic disorders. However, no systemic analysis of the prevalence of neoplastic disorders in this patient population has been performed. Aims: We systematically analyzed all cases of malignant neoplastic disorders, occurred in a large cohort of Greek thalassemic patients and investigated for possible underlying predisposing factors. Patients and methods: Data of 3652 patients with hemoglobinopathies (Group I: beta-thalassemia homozygous N=1981, Group II: thalassemia Intermedia N=746, Group III: sickle-cell disease +/- beta-Thalassemia n=751, Group IV: hemoglobinopathy-H N=174) were retrieved, followed up at 24 specific Hospital Units, between 1985 and 2018. Totally, 165 cases of a malignant disorder were identified (overall prevalence 4.52%). The significance of the following predisposing factors was investigated: familial history of neoplasia, occupational exposure to known mutagens, previous autoimmunity, previous splenectomy, tobacco smoking, alcohol use, HBV, HCV or HIV infection, iron overload, hydroxyurea treatment, previous irradiation for extramedullary hematopoietic tumors and systemic use of androgens/estrogens. Results: Patients were 84 males and 81 females with a median age at diagnosis of the neoplastic disorder of 45 years (range 9-73 years). Higher prevalence of neoplasia was noted among patients of Groups I and II (4.99% vs 3.03% among patients of Groups III and IV, p<0.05). Table 1 shows histological diagnosis of the 165 neoplastic disorders, of which 139 (84.2%) were solid tumors and 26 (15.8%) hematological malignancies. The dominant malignancy was hepatocellular carcinoma, diagnosed in 63 patients, followed by thyroid cancer (17 cases), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (13 cases), and renal cell carcinoma (10 cases). There was a strong positive association between hepatitis C virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma, and a negative one between HCV infection and thyroid and renal cancer. Active HCV infection was found in 81 patients (49.1%) compared to an estimated prevalence of about 25% among the whole thalassemic patient population. Hepatocellular carcinoma was more frequently diagnosed in men (M/F ratio 1.86) of the fourth and fifth decade (median age 45 years) with thalassemia homozygous or intermedia (89% of the cases), with long-standing, untreated HCV infection (76%), irrespective of the burden of hepatic iron load, estimated with MRI T2*. Indeed, no difference in the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as of any other type of cancer was found, in relation to Liver Iron Concentration (LIC). Moreover, no preponderance of any HCV genotype was identified, but interestingly, all 1b HCV genotype-associated neoplasms were hepatocellular carcinoma (7 cases). Finally, no association between any of the remaining potential risk factors with the manifestation of any specific neoplastic disorder was observed. Discussion: In our large thalassemic patient cohort, representative of the whole country of Greece, we have identified increased prevalence of four types of cancer. Besides hepatocellular carcinoma, we have unexpectedly encountered high prevalence of thyroid and renal cancer, as well as of all types of lymphomas. These primary findings deserve further investigation, since, excluding hepatocellular carcinoma, no prominent or speculative causality can be currently attributed for the remaining malignancies. Disclosures Kattamis: Vifor Pharma: Consultancy; ApoPharma: Honoraria; CELGENE: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria.