Ayten Arcasoy

Ocular granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma) with acute myelomonocytic leukemia in turkish children

In a series of 166 leukemic children from Turkey, 56 had acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML). Seventeen boys and 3 girls presented with chloroma‐like deposits (granulocytic or myeloid sarcomas) in the eye and orbit, all showing AMML on initial study of blood and marrow. The ocular lesions responded rapidly to antileukemic therapy. Laboratory studies of AMML cases revealed no cytogenetic or immune defects, and Epstein‐Barr virus titers were normal. A group‐specific (GS‐3) antigen (type‐C virus?) was identified in one patient by radioimmunoassay of orbital tumor extracts. It is not clear what factors contribute toward the myelomonocytic differentiation of leukemia and its localization in the eye and orbit, but opportunities for further study are enhanced by reports of a predisposition to ocular chloroma among leukemic children in Africa, Egypt, and Japan.

Decreased iron and zinc absorption in Turkish children with iron deficiency and geophagia.

Oral iron and zinc tolerance tests were performed in 12 patients between 8 and 21 years of age, with iron deficiency anemia and geophagia. Decreased iron and zinc absorption were detected respectively in patients against the elevated absorption curves in control subjects. Iron and zinc malabsorption may be an additional feature of the syndrome characterized by geophagia, iron deficiency anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, hypogonadism and dwarfism observed in Turkey and Iran.

The Incidence of β-Thalassemia and Abnormal Hemoglobins in Turkey

The present study has been carried out to estimate the gene frequency of thalassemia and abnormal hemoglobins in a random Turkish population. A total of 1,000 Haemoglobin A2 blood samples h

Hematologic and Biochemical Studies of Turkish Children With Pica A Presumptive Explanation for the Syndrome of Geophagia, Iron Deficiency Anemia, Hepatosplenomegaly and Hypogonadism

The present study clearly indicates the presence of iron deficiency anemia in Turkish children with long standing pica for soil and clay. Most of the patients described had marked growth retardation and a lag in bone age. As explanation, the cations in soil and clay seem to enter into an ion exchange retention reaction with dietary iron, zinc and perhaps other trace metals, resulting in the typical complex of deficiency symptoms.

Effects of Calcitonin Therapy on Osteoporosis in Patients with Thalassemia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of calcitonin (CT) treatment on bone pain, osteoporosis, bone fractures and blood chemistry in thalassemic patients. Twenty-four patients with an age range of 10-24 years were included, 14 of whom received 100 IU CT and 250 mg calcium 3 times a week. The others (n = 10) were followed up as a control group with only routine thalassemia therapy. After 1 year of treatment, bone pain disappeared and radiological signs of osteoporosis had improved significantly (p < 0.01) in the treatment group. CT has no important side effects.

Changes of Trace Minerals (Serum Iron, Zinc, Copper and Magnesium) in Thalassemia

We have determined serum Zn, Fe, Cu and Mg in 42 patients aging from 3 months to 22 years with homozygous beta-thalassemia and thalassemia intermedia and in 36 control subjects of the same ages. Serum zinc was significantly decreased. Serum copper and iron were increased, but magnesium was found to be at normal levels.

Desferoxamine and Urinary Zinc Excretion in β-Thalassemia Major

This study has been undertaken to find out whether urinary zinc excretion, which is already increased in patients with thalassemia, is further increased by usual and high doses of desferrioxamine (DF). A total of 11 β-thalassemia major patients were included. DF infusions have been performed with doses, either 50 mg/kg or 150 mg/kg. Nine age and sex matched normal children were taken as the control group. The mean basal-Zn excretion of the patients was significantly higher than the mean Zn excretion observed in controls. No significant difference is observed between the mean Zn excretion obtained on different doses of DF. However, they are both significantly higher than the mean basal-Zn levels of the controls.

Fanconi’s Aplastic Anemia, Analysis of 18 Cases

A total of 18 patients within the age range of 5-13 years, 12 male and 6 female, are diagnosed as having Fanconis aplastic anemia on the basis of congenital abnormalities, pancytopenia, bone marrow hypoplasia, and chromosomal and hematologic analysis. The hereditary and familial basis of Fanconis aplastic anemia was apparent in this series. Common abnormalities were growth retardation, café au lait spots, hyperpigmentations, microcephaly, phalange deformities, mental retardation, and hypogenitalism; chromosome abnormalities were detected in the majority of our cases. Mast cells were observed in the bone marrow in most of the patients. 1 case developed acute myelomonocytic leukemia.

Zinc Levels of Plasma, Erythrocyte, Hair and Urine in Homozygote Beta-Thalassemia

The zinc levels of plasma, erythrocytes, hair and urine were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer technique in 20 homozygous β -thalassemic and 20 control children. Plas

Ultrastructural changes in the mucosa of the small intestine in patients with geophagia (Prasad's syndrome).

The ultrastructure of intestinal mucosa in two geophagia patients with growth retardation, hypogonadism, hepatosplenomegaly, zinc deficiency, iron deficiency, and anemia was studied with an electron microscope. Alterations in the ultrastructure of intestinal mucosa, especially in Paneths cells, possibly due to zinc deficiency were observed.