Sickle cell disease affects approximately 5000 people in the UK predominantly of African and Afro-Caribbean origin.1 The majority of those affected live in inner city areas; for example it is the most common inherited condition in the City and Hackney district of London. There is a high morbidity and mortality in children with up to 10% dying within the first 10 years of life.2 Sickle cell rela...

We describe a simple, noninstrumental procedure for detecting hemoglobin S in samples of blood on filter paper, with use of small volumes of reagents. The method depends on the differential solubilities of reduced sickling and nonsickling hemoglobin in phosphate solutions (1, 2) or Sickledex reagent’ and the apparent solubilizing effect of urea on reduced hemoglobin S (3). The color of paired p...

The posterior pole vasculature of 100 patients with different sickling haemoglobinopathies was studied prospectively over a period of three years. Various abnormalities of the posterior pole vasculature were seen in 29 per cent of the patients. Continuous remodelling of the macular and perimacular vasculature occurred. Visual acuity was variably affected and sometimes remained intact.

After several complications following percutaneous liver biopsy in patients with sickle cell disease, we reviewed our experience. We examined 14 patients with sickle cell disease who underwent a percutaneous liver biopsy. Clinicopathologic findings were correlated with outcome. Of 14 patients, 5 (36%) suffered serious hemorrhage; 4 died (80%; 28% of all patients). None of the 9 patients without...

Sickle cell crisis may be precipitated by pregnancy or infection, conditions in which prostaglandin concentrations can be elevated. We have investigated the effects of exogenous prostaglandins on whole blood and isolated, washed erythrocytes from patients with sickle cell anemia disease. Differential counting, light scattering, and optical absorption techniques indicate that prostaglandin E2 ca...

AIMS AND BACKGROUND Differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is sometimes difficult to accurately perform. METHODS Eight markers including cytokeratin 7 (CK7), cytokeratin 19 (CK19), MOC31, CD10, glypican 3 (GPC3), claudin 4, biglycan and high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) were immunohistochemically stained in samples from 179 surgically resected hepa...