Iranian Journal of Blood and Cancer
Volume:6 Issue: 4, Summer 2014

Plasminogen is one of the compounds derived from human plasma. Activation of plasminogen produces plasmin. Plasmin is able to lyse fibrinogen, fibrin, and some other human plasma proteins. The aim of the present work was to study the separation of human plasminogen by affinity chromatography using gel lysine Sepharose. Normal human plasma was used as the starting material. By increasing its concentration of ethanol from 0% to 8% in pH 7.2 at -3○C the centrifugation was carried out and the supernatant I was separated from precipitate I. Then supernatant fraction I was used for separation of human plasminogen from plasma and further purification was carried out using affinity chromatography using affinity gel lysine Sepharose. In our study we could obtain plasminogen with the concentration of 0.5%. In normal human plasma the concentration of plasminogen is about 200mg/l. Comparing the result with the concentration of plasminogen in normal human plasma shows about 25 folds higher concentration. Using affinity chromatography method a 25-fold increase in plasminogen concentration was achieved which shows this method is a promising method for the preparation of plasminogen from human plasma.

Activated normal platelets undergo many biochemical and morphological changes, some of which are apoptotic. Platelet derived microparticles and shrinked platelets as hallmark of platelet activation and apoptosis disperse surfaces containing procoagulant activity around injured vessels and tissues. This study was conducted to determine microparticles formation and platelet shrinkage in Glanzmann thrombasthenia upon activation. Patients and Platelets from twelve unrelated type I Glanzmann thrombasthenia patients were examined as washed platelets. Calcium ionophore A23187 was used as agonist to activate the platelets. Flow cytometry was applied to measure platelet-derived micro particles (forward scatter; events <1.0 µm size), and platelet shrinkage (mean-FSC). Anti-CD42b was used as platelet specific marker to distinguish platelets from other likely particles. Annexin A5 Alexa Fluor was used to determine phosphatidylserine exposure and confirm platelet activation and apoptosis. Calcium ionophore A23187, dramatically increased MP formation by type-I GT platelets up to 14.5 fold increase over baseline (Buffer treated: 14.18 ± 5.4% vs. A23187 treated: 34.31 ± 15.2% p<0.005). Also calcium ionophore A23187, increased platelet shrinkage by type-I GT platelets and mean-FSC decreased (Buffer treated: 4.12±1.3 vs. A23187 treated: 1.67±0.2 p<0.0024). This study showed that, type I Glanzmann thrombasthenia platelets demonstrate platelet apoptosis considering two apoptotic targets, including micro particles formation and platelet shrinkage. We conclude that in thrombasthenic Glanzmann platelets at least some aspects of normal apoptosis is ongoing, and this may explain normal platelet count among these patients. Keywords: Apoptosis, Glanzmann thrombasthenia, glycoprotein IIbIIIa, flow cytometry, microparticle.

In thalassemia major as a chronic disease patients need to require information about the disease processes and therapeutic interventions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice behavior of thalassemic patients. Patients and This was a cross-sectional descriptive knowledge, attitude and practice study conducted in Zafar adult thalassemia clinic, Tehran, Iran, with a simple random sampling. The questionnaire was designed by a research team including an expert physician involved in counseling and education of thalassemic patients for many years. One hundred and ninety thalassemic patients entered the study. Ninety nine patients (52.1%) were female, 91(47.9%) were male, with age range of 14 to 48 years (mean 26.79 ±5.96). Results of the knowledge part of the questionnaire indicated that 39 % of patients had poor information about thalassemia 32.5% had little information and 28.5% had satisfying information. Fifty eight percent of patients had a positive attitude towards their appearance, quality of life and social relations. Positive attitude was significantly correlated with good knowledge (p=0.009). Low knowledge about the disease had caused treatment to be irregular and improper. Based on our questionnaire 144 patients (75.8%) were depressed which was significantly higher among females (P=0.002). Increasing knowledge, attitude and practice awareness among thalassemic patients considering their disease and treatment methods has a positive influence in their quality of life. This will improve their performance to deal with their lifelong disease and its challenges during the course of treatment.

Improving the knowledge of healthcare providers towards different aspects of breast cancer leads to appropriate management and screening of disease. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of breast cancer risk factors among a cohort of nurses in Iran. The target group of the present study was 243 consecutive nurses (27 males and 216 females) at two referral hospitals in Semnan province, Iran, between March 2012 and February 2013. The data concerning the nurses’ knowledge of breast cancer risk factors was collected using a predesigned questionnaire. In total, 9.9% of nurses had poor, 71.2% had intermediate and only 18.9% had good level of knowledge towards breast cancer risk factors. The level of knowledge towards risk factors was not affected by nurses’ gender, age, level of education, years of experience, marital status, presence of a history of breast problem, or history of caring for a breast cancer patient. However, those nurses with a family history of breast cancer especially those with a patient as a first degree relative had significantly higher level of knowledge about the disease risk factors. The highest level of knowledge on breast cancer risk factors was observed among nurses working in CCU wards, while the lowest level of knowledge was found in pediatrics and psychiatry wards. Among nurses working in obstetrics and gynecology wards, 15.8% had a poor level, 68.4% had an intermediate level, and only 15.8% had an acceptable level of knowledge on breast cancer risk factors. This study revealed a relatively low awareness of breast cancer risk factors among nurses emphasizing the need for adding proper education programs aimed at improving the knowledge of breast cancer risk factors among our nurses.

Blood transfusion centers are under considerable pressure to produce platelet concentrates with high quality and safety due to the short shelf life of 3-5 days as well as possible bacterial and viral contaminations. For a variety of reasons, many Europeans have changed their methods of component production from whole blood using the North American standard platelet-rich plasma method to the buffy coat method of platelet production. Many advantages and some limitations during conversion from platelet-rich plasma method to buffy coat method have been observed. It seems that decisions to switch from platelet-rich plasma method to buffy coat method with whole blood component production should be considered; the benefits from increased platelet yield, improved platelet quality, increased plasma recovery, reduced blood transfusion adverse reactions and lower pathogen transmission rates compared to the platelet-rich plasma method outweigh any transient difference in red cell parameters or inconsiderable reduction of factor VIII activity. The purpose of this review is to discuss the quality, safety and economic aspects of blood components production during conversion from platelet-rich plasma to buffy coat method in preparing blood components which may benefit developing countries.

As the data on the epidemiology and outcome of fungal infections in children with hematologic cancer are limited especially in Iran, this study was aimed to delineate the epidemiologic features and outcome of fungal infections in this population. The medical records of all children with hematologic malignancies diagnosed with a fungal infection from 2005 to 2010 at a tertiary pediatric hospital (Ali Asghar Children’s Hospital, Tehran, Iran) were reviewed. The results indicated that out of 617 children hospitalized in the hematology/oncology department during the study period, 115 (18.6%) were diagnosed with a fungal infection. Between 87 patients with fungal infection whose records were complete, Candida species caused the majority (73.6%) of fungal infections. Aspergillus species were found in 14.9% and Mucor species in 11.5% of patients. The mortality rate significantly correlated with the organism causing the infection (P< 0.0001) and was especially high in patients with Aspergillus infections (61.5%). Improved prevention, early detection, and advanced treatment strategies are needed to improve the outcome.