Haematologica
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A probabilistic model was used to compare cryoprecipitate to viral inactivated, commercial fibrinogen concentrate to evaluate with regard to the recipient's risk of exposure to an emergent AIDS-like epidemic. In patients who occasionally need a therapeutic dose of fibrinogen, commercial fibrinogen would be marginally safer than cryoprecipitate if the new pathogen were sensitive to inactivation. But there is a potential high risk of exposure if the emerging agent withstands inactivation. In most of the analyzed scenarios, cryoprecipitate is safer than commercial fibrinogen as long as the odds that the new agent is sensitive to inactivation are lower than 1.000 to 1.
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Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is increasingly observed in sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta-thalassemia (beta-thal), but there is no information on its prevalence in patients with HbS/beta-thal. The amino-terminal fragment of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is considered as an independent prognostic factor in PH. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of PH and its correlation with clinical and laboratory findings, including NT-proBNP, in patients with HbS/beta-thal. ⋯ The incidence of PH in patients with HbS/beta-thal is similar to that observed in patients with SCD. Serum NT-proBNP is a strong indicator of PH in HbS/beta-thal. The correlation between PH and reticulocyte counts and ferritin suggests that the degree of hemolysis and iron overload is implicated in the pathogenesis of PH in HbS/beta-thal.