Iron Status of Multiple Transfused Sickle Cell Anaemia Patients Attending a Sickle Cell Clinic in Benin City, Nigeria

This study was aimed at evaluating the iron status of multiple blood transfused sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients in Benin City, Nigeria. A total of 86 subjects participated in the study, comprising of 30 multiple transfused SCA subjects, 30 of rarely transfused SCA subjects and 26 of age and sex matched healthy control subjects. Serum ferritin was determined by enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay technique. Serum iron and Total iron binding capacity was determined by spectrophometric method. The mean serum ferritin concentration was elevated in the sickle cell anaemia patients whose multiple transfusions (MT) are more than those who were rarely transfused (RT) as compared with the control groups (p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the serum ferritin and the number of units of blood transfused (r = 0.719, p = 0.000). This study revealed that a high level of serum ferritin, percentage transferrin saturation and a reduction in total iron binding capacity were observed in sickle cell anaemia patients who received ≥3 units of packed cells in one year.

Inhibitory effects of nitric oxide and interleukin-10 on production of tumor necrosis factorα,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-6 in mouse alveolar macrophages

目的：观察一氧化氮和ＩＬ１０对肺泡巨噬细胞炎症反应的调节作用．方法：小鼠肺泡巨噬细胞（ＡＭ）受脂多糖（ＬＰＳ）１０ｍｇ·Ｌ－１刺激同时，加入一氧化氮合酶抑制剂Ｓ硫酸甲基异硫脲（ＳＭＴ）或一氧化氮供体Ｓ亚硝基乙酰青霉胺（ＳＮＡＰ）．ＥＬＩＳＡ法测定上清液中ＴＮＦα、ＩＬ１β、ＩＬ６和ＩＬ１０浓度．结果：ＡＭ受ＬＰＳ刺激后，ＴＮＦα、ＩＬ１β和ＩＬ６释放峰值分别在６、１２和２４小时．ＳＭＴ抑制一氧化氮释放，但促进ＩＬ１β和ＩＬ６释放，对ＴＮＦα无影响．ＳＮＡＰ对ＩＬ１β和ＩＬ６释放有明显的抑制作用，呈剂量依赖效应．重组ＩＬ１０抑制ＴＮＦα、ＩＬ１β和ＩＬ６释放，而ＩＬ１０单克隆抗体促进上述因子释放．结论：内源及外源性一氧化氮和ＩＬ１０均对ＬＰＳ诱导的炎症性细胞因子释放有抑制作用．