Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
8
pubmed:dateCreated
1995-5-25
pubmed:abstractText
The incidence of functional asplenia in sickle-hemoglobin C (SC) disease has not been defined, and the use of prophylactic penicillin to prevent life-threatening septicemia in this disorder is controversial. The percentage of red blood cells with pits (pit count) is a reliable assay of splenic function in other disorders but has not been validated in hemoglobin SC disease. To address these issues, we conducted a prospective, multicenter study of splenic function in persons with hemoglobin SC disease. Baseline clinical data were recorded, and red blood cell pit counts were performed on 201 subjects, aged 6 months to 90 years, with hemoglobin SC; 43 subjects underwent radionuclide liver-spleen scanning. Pit counts greater than 20% were associated with functional asplenia as assessed by liver-spleen scan, whereas pit counts less than 20% were found in subjects with preserved splenic function. Pit counts greater than 20% were present in 0 of 59 subjects (0%) less than 4 years of age, in 19 of 86 subjects (22%) 4 to 12 years of age, and in 25 of 56 subjects (45%) greater than 12 years of age. Other subjects with hemoglobin SC, who had previously undergone surgical splenectomy, had higher pit counts (59.7% +/- 9.5%) than splenectomized subjects without hemoglobinopathy (38.5% +/- 8.8%) or with sickle cell anemia (20.5% +/- 1.9%; P < .001). Two subjects with hemoglobin SC disease (not splenectomized), ages 14 and 15 years, with pit counts of 40.3% and 41.7% died from pneumococcal septicemia. These data indicate that functional asplenia occurs in many patients with hemoglobin SC disease, but its development is usually delayed until after 4 years of age. The pit count is a reliable measure of splenic function in hemoglobin SC disease, but values indicative of functional asplenia (> 20% in our laboratory) are higher than in other disorders. The routine administration of prophylactic penicillin to infants and young children with hemoglobin SC disease may not be necessary.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Apr
pubmed:issn
0006-4971
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
15
pubmed:volume
85
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
2238-44
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Adolescent, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Adult, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Aged, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Aged, 80 and over, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Altitude, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Anoxia, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Child, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Child, Preschool, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Colorado, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Disease Susceptibility, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Erythrocyte Count, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Erythrocytes, Abnormal, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Hemoglobin SC Disease, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Infant, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Middle Aged, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Mononuclear Phagocyte System, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Prospective Studies, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Risk, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Sepsis, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Spleen, pubmed-meshheading:7718896-Vacuoles
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
Functional asplenia in hemoglobin SC disease.
pubmed:affiliation
Colorado Sickle Cell Treatment and Research Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Multicenter Study