Scientific Journal of

  Abstract

 Background and Objectives

 Blood transfusion has a critical role in clinical practice, but there has always been a possibility for transmission of infections. A lot of research have been conducted recently to find the cause of these infections. In 1997, TTV was first found by Nishizawa. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence rate of TTV in healthy blood donors and recipients of blood components in Tehran and prepare PCR kits to detect this virus.

 Materials and Methods

  In this research, we studied the prevalence rate of TTV in 250 thalassemic, hemophilic and dialysis patients and 250 blood donors. After extraction of DNA and amplification by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction, the bonds of DNA were observed in electrophoresis with 2% gel agarose.

 Results

 250 patients were studied 66.9% of whom were positive and 33.1% negative for TTV. TTV-PCR results were also studied in 250 blood donors 41% of whom were positive and 59% negative. There was a significant difference (p=0.0001) between patients and the control group.

 Conclusions

 TTV has a high prevalence in recipients and blood donors. Blood transfusion probably is not the only way for transmission of TTV, and other ways such as oral-fecal route can also play a role for transmission of TTV.

 Key words : TTV, Blood donor, Blood recipient

  Abstract

 Background and Objectives

 The complications of blood donation are the first reasons why donors do not return for further blood donation attempts. This study was designed to determine the frequency of these complications and their associated risk factors among blood donors in Tehran. It also aimed to provide suitable methods to decrease the frequency of adverse reactions of blood donation, thus eliminating the most important causes of nonreturn, while ensuring the health of donors.

 Materials and Methods

 This analytical descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 554 blood donors who had donated blood from February 2004 through September 2005 in four fixed blood donation bases and four mobile blood collection buses. Each base was considered as a stratum, and a stratified random sampling proportional to size was done to select the donors.

 Results

 Reported results showed donor reaction rate of 26%, with ecchymosis (22.7%), pain (8.5%), tenderness (5.6%), and hematoma (5.1%) as the most common. The frequency of donor complications has a significant statistical correlation with manner of needle entrance in vein, lack of change in needle position under skin, prolonged phlebotomy, incomplete phlebotomy, and hard work with hand within 12 hours after donation.

 Conclusions

 Regarding the frequency values derived from different complications, it can be concluded that attention to these complications and their control can help encourage donors to become repeat donors preventing their lack of return for further blood donation.

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 Key words : Complications, Blood donation, Risk factors�

  Abstract

 Background and Objectives

 In the mammalian cells, there is a relationship between telomere length and both cancer and senescence. Progressive telomere shortening has a role in genomic instability and has been reported in a wide range of human cancers as well as in transformation and progression to hematologic malignancies. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) has different stages in the process of its progression. In this study, we examined the telomere length changes in peripheral blood leukocytes of CML patients in chronic (CP) and blastic phases (BP).

 Materials and Methods

 In this descriptive study, we examined the telomere length in 21 CML patients (14 in chronic and 7 in blastic phases) having reffered to Hematology–Oncology and BMT Research Center of Shariati Hospital since March 2004 using Southern blot analysis the results were then compared with age-adjusted normal controls. Data were analyzed through logestic regression and Anova.

 Results

 At the time of diagnosis, 71.43% of chronic phase patients had a shortened TRF compared to normal age-adjusted individuals. The mean telomere length values in chronic and blastic phases were 6.98±1.26 kb and 4.81±1.06 kb, respectively it showed significant telomere length reduction in age-adjusted normal controls. Moreover, the mean telomere length values in BP-CML showed significant statistical differences as compared to CP-CML. Mean values of telomere length reduction in CP-CML and BP-CML as compared with normal age-adjusted control group were 3.31±1.38 kb and 5.27±0.9 kb, respectively.

 Conclusions

 The significant statistical differences in mean telomere length of CP-CML and BP-CML as compared with age-adjusted normal controls and the apparent differences of TRF in chronic and blastic phases can be useful in prediction of phase of disease progression.

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 Key words : Chronic myelogenous leukemia, Telomere, Southern blot