Pregnancy in the Sickle Cell Disease and Fetomaternal Outcomes in Different Sickle cell Genotypes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundPregnancy is a major concern among women with the sickle cell disease (SCD), and it is associated with increased adverse outcomes. The aim of the present meta-analysis is to report the fetomaternal outcomes in different sickle cell genotypes.MethodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, a comprehensive search of databases and search engines such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, Science Direct and Google Scholar were performed. Any observational studies that had compared at least one outcome such as maternal outcomes, fetal outcomes, and morbidity between two groups of pregnant women with different types of sickle cell genotypes and pregnant women without SCD were evaluated.ResultsA total number of 9,827 pregnant women with SCD were examined. The results showed that pregnancy in SCD increased the risk of adverse outcomes for the mothers (including postpartum hemorrhage, prematurity, pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, cesarean section, lower segment cesareansection, maternal death), fetus (including live births, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, APGAR score at 5 min <7, stillbirth, neonatal death, perinatal mortality, acute fetal distress, intrauterine fetal death) and morbidity among the SCD(severe anemia, urinary tract infection, blood transfusion, painful crisis, acute chest syndrome, vaso-occlusive crises).ConclusionAccording to the results of this meta-analysis, pregnancy in the SCD is associated with an increased risk of maternal outcomes, fetal outcomes, and morbidity among SCD patients with different genotypes. Pregnancy in sickle cell hemoglobinopathies needs careful multidisciplinary management and cautious caring so as to decrease maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.     

Bilateral renal lymphangiomatosis: sonographic findings

Renal lymphangiomatosis is an exceedingly rare disorder characterized by developmental malformation of the lymphatic system surrounding the kidneys. We report a case of bilateral renal lymphangiomatosis in a 21-year-old man who underwent abdominal sonographic examination that revealed numerous cystic areas of various sizes around both kidneys with extension along the renal hilum. Subsequent abdominal CT examination demonstrated bilateral, multilocular, fluid-filled cystic masses with thin walls in the perirenal and peripelvic region. MRI of the patient revealed bilaterally enlarged kidneys with multiple hyperintense lesions in both perirenal spaces and the peripelvic area on T2-weighted images. These cystic spaces appeared hypointense on T1-weighted images with no enhancement in postcontrast images. The diagnosis of renal lymphangiomatosis was made based on typical imaging findings.     

Sputum Cytokine Levels in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis as Early Markers of Mycobacterial Clearance

Sputum and serum from patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), healthy purified protein derivative-positive adults, and patients with bacterial pneumonia were collected to simultaneously assess local immunity in the lungs and peripheral blood. To determine whether cytokine profiles in sputum from TB patients and control subjects were a reflection of its cellular composition, cytospin slides were prepared in parallel and assessed for the presence of relative proportions of epithelial cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and T cells. Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in sputum from TB patients was markedly elevated over levels for both control groups. With anti-TB therapy, IFN-γ levels in sputum from TB patients decreased rapidly and by week 4 of treatment were comparable to those in sputum from controls. Further, IFN-γ levels in sputum closely followed mycobacterial clearance. Although detected at fourfold-lower levels, IFN-γ immunoreactivities in serum followed kinetics in sputum. TNF-α, interleukin 8 (IL-8) and IL-6 also were readily detected in sputum from TB patients at baseline and responded to anti-TB therapy. In contrast to IFN-γ, however, TNF-α and IL-8 levels also were elevated in sputum from pneumonia controls. These data indicate that sputum cytokines correlate with disease activity during active TB of the lung and may serve as potential early markers for sputum conversion and response to anti-TB therapy.