The red cell distribution width (RDW) is a standard variable reported in the complete blood count. It has been found to have a consistent relationship to life expectancy in older individuals, prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease, outcome in those with hematological and non-hematological neoplasms and in a variety of medical circumstances such as non-cardiovascular or cancer related critical illness and postoperative outcome from various procedures. This report reviews some of the key medical publications establishing these relationships with RDW. The precise pathobiological processes that explain the predictive value of the RDW in this wide array of circumstances or why an alteration in erythropoiesis (exaggerated red cell size variation) occurs is uncertain. The possible role of inflammation has been one hypothesis considered, but not established.
Telomere length related studies are limited in pediatric marrow failure cases due to difficulty in establishing population specific age related normograms. Moreover, there is paucity of data related to clinical relevance of telomere length in idiopathic aplastic anemia (IAA) and non telomere biology inherited bone marrow failure syndrome (IBMFS) cases. Methodology: Hence, in current study we investigated Relative telomere length (RTL) by RQ-PCR in 83 samples as: healthy controls (n = 44), IAA (n = 15) and IBMFS (n = 24). In addition, we performed chromosomal breakage studies and targeted NGS to screen for pathogenic variants. Results & Conclusion: Median RTL was significantly different between control vs. IBMFS (p-0.002), IAA vs. IBMFS (p-0.0075) and DC vs. non-DC IBMFS (p-0.011) but not between control vs. IAA (p-0.46). RTL analysis had clinical utility in differentiating BMF cases as 75 % (9/12) of DC had short/very short telomeres compared to only 17 % (2/12) of non-DC IBMFS, 7 % (1/15) of IAA and 7 % (3/44) of controls (p < 0.001).
To document the results of outpatient hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from the peripheral blood (PB) of sibling donors without anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) in the conditioning regimen.
Patients from a low-income population with severe AA who received a PB, unmanipulated sibling HLA-identical HSCT between 2000 and 2020 at a single institution were studied. Survival was the primary outcome.
Forty-one transplants were performed. Time between diagnosis and transplant was five months (1–104). Median age was 37 (range, 4–61) years; 25 (61 %) recipients were males and 32 (78 %) had treatment failure, 9 (22 %) have not received treatment. ATG was administered in 5 (12.2 %) cases; the graft source was PB in 38 (92.7 %) transplants. Twenty-six (63.4 %) transplants were carried out in the outpatient setting. Infections developed in 14 (34.1 %) patients. Primary graft failure (GF) occurred in 3 (7.3 %) patients. The 15-year OS was 81 %, EFS was 77.4 %. Patients with high pre-HSCT transfusion burden had lower OS (p = 0.035) and EFS (p = 0.026). Previous treatment failure and age were not associated with lower OS (p = 0.115, p = 0.069) or EFS (p = 0.088, p = 0.5, respectively).
HLA-identical T-cell replete outpatient HSCT from the PB of sibling donors for AA patients using ATG-free conditioning offers excellent long-term survival.
Recent evidence suggests that systemic conditions, particularly those associated with inflammation, can affect erythrocyte deformability in the absence of haematological conditions. In this exploratory study, we investigated the relationship between systemic inflammatory status and erythrocyte deformability (using osmotic gradient ektacytometry) in a heterogenous study population consisting of individuals with no medical concerns, chronic conditions, and acute illness, providing a wide range of systemic inflammation severity.
22 participants were included in a prospective observational study. Maximum Elongation Index (EImax) in ektacytometry served as the readout for erythrocyte deformability. Inflammatory status was assessed using C-reactive protein (CRP) and self-reported symptoms associated with inflammatory activation (Sickness Questionnaire Scores, SicknessQ).
In a univariate linear regression, both CRP and SicknessQ scores significantly predicted EImax (CRP: F(1,20) = 7.751, p < 0.05 (0.011), R2 = 0.279; SicknessQ: F(1,18) = 4.831, p < 0.05 (0.041), R2 = 0.212). Sensitivity analyses with multivariable linear regression correcting for age showed concordant findings.
Results suggest a linear relationship between erythrocyte deformability and biochemical and clinical markers of systemic inflammation. Replication of findings in a larger study, and mechanisms and clinical consequences need further in investigation.
Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by severe immunodeficiency, albinism and coagulation deficiency. Mostly diagnosed in early childhood, this devastating condition is associated with lysosomal abnormalities attributed to the absence or impaired function of lysosomal trafficking regulator caused by mutations in the CHS1/LYST gene. In current study, we report a case of late-onset CHS caused by two novel compound heterozygous CHS1/LYST mutations: c.8407C > T, leading to early termination of translation at residue Gln2803 (p. Gln2803Ter), and a small deletion c. 4020_4031del, resulting in an in-frame deletion of three amino acid residues (p. Asp1343_Val1346del). Both variants retain a large part of the CHS/LYST protein, particularly p. Asp1343_Val1346del, which preserves critical functional BEACH and WD40 domains in the C terminal, potentially maintaining residual activity and alleviating patient symptoms. The timeline of SARS-CoV-2 infection and rapid symptom progression suggests that the viral infection may have trigger the accelerated phase development leading to a poor prognosis.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) registries provide crucial real-world data on demographics, epidemiology, healthcare, patient outcomes, and treatment efficacy. This paper presents findings from the Indian SCD Registry (ISCDR) on clinical manifestations, crisis episodes, disease management, and healthcare utilization in patients with SCD from 12 primary health centres (PHCs) in six tribal districts of India.
The ISCDR was introduced along with a three-tier screening process. Its Android-based application incorporates two electronic case report forms for patient data collection over one year. This paper presents a year's data from the ISCDR's 324 patients with SCD.
Patients with SCD, aged one to 65 years, exhibited varied clinical manifestations. Most patients (85.2 %) were unaware of their SCD status before enrolling in ISCDR. Moderate to severe anaemia was prevalent (66.05 % and 30.56 %, respectively). Pain was a common complaint (80.86 %; CI: 76.17–85.00), while symptoms of stroke included sudden severe headaches (34.57 %; CI: 29.40–40.02). Common splenic sequestration symptoms included stomach pain (42.90 %; CI: 37.44–48.49) and abdominal tenderness (13.27 %; CI: 9.77–17.46), as a sign. Healthcare utilization was high, with 96.30 % receiving treatment and 83.64 % consuming hydroxyurea. Hospitalization occurred for 38.27 % (CI: 32.95–43.81), and 12.04 % (CI: 8.70–16.09) had blood transfusion during last year.
ISCDR serves as a dynamic digital database on SCD epidemiology, clinical aspects, treatment and healthcare utilization. Notably, many patients lacked prior awareness of their SCD status, underscoring the need for improved awareness and care management. Integrating the registry into the national programme can streamline treatment implementation, prioritize management approaches, and optimize individual benefits.

