The association between serum copper and anaemia in the adult Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) population

Though common in older adults, anaemia is unexplained in about one-third of cases. As a rare cause of anaemia and neutropenia, Cu deficiency could account for some cases of unexplained anaemia. We examined the relationship between serum Cu and unexplained anaemia among 11 240 participants in the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II): 638 (5.7 % of all adults) were anaemic; 421 (3.7 %) were not explained by deficiencies of vitamin B12, folate or Fe, chronic illness or renal disease. Spline regression showed a U-shaped relationship between serum Cu levels and unexplained anaemia, indicating that both high and low serum Cu levels are associated with unexplained anaemia in adults. Chronic inflammation and mild Fe deficiency could account for the association between unexplained anaemia and elevated Cu levels. On the other hand, the finding of hypocupraemia in a subset of adults with unexplained anaemia suggests that Cu deficiency may be a common reversible cause of anaemia in adults

ADAMTS13 phenotype in plasma from normal individuals and patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

The activity of ADAMTS13, the von Willebrand factor cleaving protease, is deficient in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). In the present study, the phenotype of ADAMTS13 in TTP and in normal plasma was demonstrated by immunoblotting. Normal plasma (n = 20) revealed a single band at 190 kD under reducing conditions using a polyclonal antibody, and a single band at 150 kD under non-reducing conditions using a monoclonal antibody. ADAMTS13 was not detected in the plasma from patients with congenital TTP (n = 5) by either antibody, whereas patients with acquired TTP (n = 2) presented the normal phenotype. Following immunoadsorption of immunoglobulins, the ADAMTS13 band was removed from the plasma of the patients with acquired TTP, but not from that of normal individuals. This indicates that ADAMTS13 is complexed with immunoglobulin in these patients. The lack of ADAMTS13 expression in the plasma from patients with hereditary TTP may indicate defective synthesis, impaired cellular secretion, or enhanced degradation in the circulation. This study differentiated between normal and TTP plasma, as well as between congenital and acquired TTP. This method may, therefore, be used as a complement in the diagnosis of TTP

Alien Registration- Knovich, Antoinette (Waterville, Kennebec County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/14588/thumbnail.jp

Alien Registration- Knovich, Jacob U. (Waterville, Kennebec County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/14589/thumbnail.jp

Alien Registration- Knovich, Antoinette (Waterville, Kennebec County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/14588/thumbnail.jp

Alien Registration- Knovich, Jacob U. (Waterville, Kennebec County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/14589/thumbnail.jp