12th Congress of the European Hematology ... - Haematologica

in age. High prevalence of LBM among thalassemia intermedia. Summary.
Bone assessment was found to be suboptimal in children and adolescents,
bone morbidity increased with age. All thalassemia should be
screened annually for bone disease. Prevention of osteoporosis is the
most important priority in managing thalassemia patients by early diagnosis
and treatment.
1168
IDENTIFICATION OF HAEMOGLOBIN O-ARAB USING HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID
CHROMATOGRAPHY
A. Agorasti, D. Konstantinidou
General Hospital of Xanthi, XANTHI, Greece
Background. The HLC-723G7 (TOSOH) is a fully automated high performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the ‚-thalassaemia analysis
mode, predetermined windows are set in the software to detect the
presence of haemoglobin F, A2, A, D, S, C. All other windows are for presumptive
identification of various haemoglobins. Unidentified haemoglobin
fractions (peaks bigger than 10%) need further investigation. Aim.
The aim of this study was to determine the chromatogram patterns and
retention times for specimens containing haemoglobin O-Arab (Hb O-
Arab) in order to avoid in the future alternative, confirmatory tests.
Patients and Methods. During a six months period, all specimens containing
O-Arab and S haemoglobin variants were reanalyzed on a G7
TOSOH analyzer (HPLC method). The identification of the variants was
previously achieved by alkaline / acid electrophoresis and sickle screening
test. Group comparisons were performed by t-Student test. Value of
pT and 1075A>C in the CYP2C9 gene.
The test is based on multiplex PCR, followed by reverse-hybridization
of biotin-labeled amplification products to a parallel array of allele-specific
oligonucleotides immobilized on membrane teststrips. Results.
Genotyping for VKORC1 polymorphisms and the functionally defective
CYP2C9 variants *2 and *3 allowed the classification of patients into
high, intermediate and low dose responders to phenprocoumon (Marcumar),
the most commonly used oral anticoagulant in Central and
North European countries. Favourable properties, such as the rapid DNA
extraction protocol, ready-to-use reagents and teststrips, as well as the
potential for automation of the hybridization/detection step, make the
StripAssay convenient and easy to perform within less than 6 hours.
Conclusions. A simple and reliable diagnostic tool was developed and
evaluated for predicting the response of patients to phenprocoumon
treatment. The results obtained in our study will assist clinicians to
achieve a more individualized anticoagulant therapy.
1171
FIBRINOLYTIC ACTIVITY IN CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE PATIENTS UNDER HAEMODIALYSIS
AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO RECOMBINANT HUMAN ERYTHROPOIETIN RESISTANCE
E. Costa, 1 S. Rocha, 2 P. Rocha-Pereira, 3 E. Castro, 2 V. Miranda, 4
M. Sameiro Faria, 4 A. Loureiro, 5 A. Quintanilha, 6 L. Belo, 7 A. Santos-
Silva7 1 ESS-IPB. FF and IBMC of UP., BRAGANÇA; 2 FF and IBMC, UP., PORTO,;
3 Universidade da Beira Interior, COVILHÃ; 4 FMC, Dinefro, PORTO, Portugal;
5 Uninefro, PORTO; 6 IBMC and ICBAS, UP, PORTO; 7 FF and IBMC, UP,
PORTO, Portugal
Cardiovascular disease is responsible for most deaths in chronic renal
failure (CRF) patients. Disturbances of coagulation and fibrinolysis have
been reported in patients with chronic uremia and are known to contribute
to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. However, studies
of different coagulation and fibrinolysis parameters in regularly dialyzed
patients have yielded conflicting results, with some indicating suppressed
fibrinolysis and others showing increased fibrinolysis. Moreover,
correlation between fibrinolytic activity markers and resistance to
recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) therapy were not previously
studied. In order to investigate the relationship between fibrinolytic
activity and resistance to rhEPO therapy in haemodialyzed patients, we
studied the circulating levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1
(PAI-1), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and D-dimers in 50 CRF
patients under regular haemodialysis and rhEPO therapy (25 responders
and 25 non-responders to rhEPO therapy) and in 25 healthy controls.
Correlations between studied variables were assessed by using the
Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Compared with controls, CRF
patients presented with significantly lower levels of tPA and with higher
D-dimers; no statistically significant differences were found for PAI-
1. In CRF patients, the levels of D-dimers correlated positively and significantly
(r=0.359, p=0.01) with rhEPO doses (rhEPO/Kg/week) and
haematologica/the hematology journal | 2007; 92(s1) | 429