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This study evaluated the diagnostic superiority of serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) measurement to other laboratory tests performed for the determination of iron deficiency caused by chronic disease (CD). Study group consisted of 114 anemic patients allocated into 3 groups at the pediatrics clinic of Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine and 32 healthy pediatric subjects as the control group. sTfR value ranged between 11.00 nmol/L and 26.20 nmol/L for the control group. However, it was 61.29 ± 39.33 nmol/L in iron deficiency anemia (IDEA) group, consisting of 51 patients. While there was a significant positive correlation between sTfR and Hb, MCV, serum iron, ferritin levels, there was a significantly inverse correlation between sTfR with RDW in the IDEA group. Mean sTfR value was found 47.05 ± 28.07 nmol/L in the acute infection (AI) group consisting of 22 patients, 39.31 ± 26.16 nmol/L in the CD group with 41 patients. Statistically significant difference was found between sTfR of IDEA group and sTfR of the AI group, though accompanied by iron deficiency. These findings showed that sTfR levels were suppressed. That all hematologic parameters including ferritin and sTfR of all patients in the CD group were heterogenous and revealed both normal and abnormal values was noteworthy. To determine the existence of accompanying iron deficiency, sTfR values above 28.10 nmol/L were chosen. It was concluded that the diagnosis of these patients was not possible without sTfR measurement. TfR-F index (sTfR/log ferritin) was found 97.72 ± 108.81 in the IDEA group, 52.16 ± 66.25 in the AI group, and 24.36 ± 43.00 in the CD group (p< 0.001). TfR-F index values of the chronic disease anemia group (ACD) and the iron deficiency anemia group accompanied by chronic disease (COMBI) were compared. The difference between these two groups was statistically significant (p< 0.001). Thus, TfR-F index proved useful in evaluating the changes of iron metabolism and reducing iron necessities in patients.

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The relation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Hodgkin’s disease (HD) has been suggested by serologic, epidemiological and molecular biologic studies. According to these studies the incidence of EBV in HD is high. In the present study, the EBV association with HD in Trakya Region of Turkey was investigated. We investigated the presence of EBV in 44 cases of HD. Fluorescein-labelled antisense EBV (EBER-RNA) was performed by in situ hybridization. There were 28 males and 16 females, with a mean age of 40 years (range 4-80 years). Histological subtypes included nodular sclerosis Hodgkin’s disease (NSHD) in 18 (40.9%), mixed cellularity (MCHD) in 16 (36.4%), lymphocyte predominance (LPHD) in 7 (15.9%), and lymphocyte depletion (LDHD) in 3 (6.8%). EBV was expressed in 30 cases (68.2%). High EBV association was found with mixed cellularity 75% and nodular sclerosis 72.2%. In lymphocyte predominance and in lymphocyte depletion cases the EBV positivity was 57.1% and 33.3%, respectively. All of 7 cases, younger than 15 years old, were positive for EBV. HD in Trakya Region showed a high association with EBV as in developing countries. Our findings suggest that EBV plays an important role in the pathogenesis of HD in Turkey.

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The aim of this study is to demonstrate the spectrum of radiologic findings of hyperimmunoglobulin E (hyper- IgE) syndrome that is relatively rare in adults. We describe the imaging findings of this rare disease in five patients. The study group consisted of 4 men and 1 woman. The final diagnosis was made according to laboratory findings in all cases. We detected lung involvement in 3 cases, paranasal sinus involvement in 4 cases and vascular involvement in 1 case. Soft tissues were involved in 5 cases. Bone involvement was demonstrated in 3 patients. The most frequent radiologic finding was widespread infectious involvement of soft tissues, bones and neighboring structures such as bursae and tendons and respiratory system.

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We presented a 64-year-old male patient with T-large granular cell leukemia/lymphoma with an agressive clinical course. Large granular lymphocytes were noted on peripheral blood smear. The phenotyping of the cells was typical T-cell lineage [CD2 (+), CD3 (+), CD5 (+)]. Clonal rearrangement of the T-cell receptor gene (TCR) was demonstrated by DNA hybridization technique. Large granular cell leukemia/lymphoma is a distinct entity with spesific clinicobiological aspects. The clinical spectrum is wide and immunophenotyping and genotyping studies need to make a diagnosis.

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Coombs’ positive hemolytic anemia is exceedingly rare in tuberculosis. We herein report a patient with tuberculosis associated with Coombs’ positive hemolytic anemia that was responded to antituberculosis therapy. She was admitted to the hospital because of recent-onset fatigue, weakness, nonproductive cough, pallor and scleral jaundice. Coombs positive hemolytic anemia and pulmoner tuberculosis was diagnosed. Following antituberculosis therapy, laboratory and clinical finding related to autoimmune hemolytic anemia disappeared.

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Solitary plasmacytoma of the bone is a plasma cell tumor characterized by a single bone lesion with no evidence of myeloma elsewhere, including fewer than 5% plasma cells in the bone marrow. Although median age is about 14 years younger than that of patients with multiple myeloma, both diseases are extremely uncommon under 30 years of age. Solitary plasmacytoma of bone seem to have a prediction to occur in the axial skeleton, particularly in a vertebra and long bones are rarely affected. Herein, we report a case of solitary plasmacytoma of bone involving the tibia in a 29-year-old woman.

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Abstract | Full Text PDF