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Background: thrombocytopenia may be defined as a decrease in number of platelets in the circulating blood. Bone marrow examination may be required to discriminate causes of thrombocytopenia as hypoproductive or hyperdestructive. However, this procedure is invasive and time consuming. Objective: this study aims to assess the diagnostic value of mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW) and platelet large cell-ratio (P-LCR) and anti-platelet antibody in discriminating causes of thrombocytopenia as hypoproductive or hyperdestructive immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP). Patients and Methods: the study was conducted on 45 subjects15 patients suffering from ITP, 15 patients suffering from other causes of thrombocytopenia, and 15 healthy controls. All of them were subjected to full clinical history, examination and routine investigation including CBC, routine chemical analysis (liver function, renal function, etc.), BM aspirate and detection of antiplatelet antibody. Results: the results of this study revealed that in ITP patient group, we found that the MPV, PDW and P-LCR were significantly higher in comparison to non-ITP group. As regard anti-platelet antibody detection by ELISA method was positive (60%) in ITP group, positive (26.7) in nonITP group and negative in all patients in control group. It revealed no significant difference between ITP group and non-ITP group to diagnose ITP. Conclusion: from this study, we could conclude that, measuring of platelet indices (MPV, PDW and LCR) provides useful diagnostic test in differentiating ITP from hypoproductive thrombocytopenia, thus may avoid the need for bone marrow examination. Measurement of anti-platelet antibody is not a reliable test in diagnosis of ITP.

Background: Thalassemia is a group of heterogeneous disorders with variable severity characterized by defect in globin chain synthesis due to genetic defect. Hypercoagulable state in thalassemia is well known complication affecting 1.1 % of patients. It is a multifactorial event with variable degree of severity and clinical presentation. Cell derived vesicles are very small vesicles < 1μm released from cells in different conditions and for different purposes. They play an important role in cell signaling, adhesion and coagulation. Objective: to evaluate erythrocyte microparticles in patients with thalassemia. Patients and methods: Blood samples were collected from 50 thalassemic patients and 50 normal individuals. Platelet poor plasma was separated and used for analysis of erythrocyte microparticles by flow cytometry using CD235a. Results: A highly significant difference was observed between all groups in basic hematological parameters. The level of microparticles was significantly higher in patients with thalassemia and was higher in adult than in children. This high level is positively correlated with HbF levels and negatively correlated with Hb levels and Hb A levels. Conclusion: The levels of erythrocyte microparticles were higher in patients with thalassemia which may contribute to the hypercoagulable state of the disease. Further studies on medications that inhibit microparticles formation may be of value in prevention and treatment of thrombosis caused by these vesicles.

A new hemoglobin (Hb) variant in the heterozygous state, Hb Al-Hammadi Riyadh [codon 75 (GAC→GTC); α75(EF4)Asp→Val (α2)] corresponding to an A→T transversion on the second exon of the α2-globin gene, is described. The variant was characterized by DNA sequencing and mass spectrometry (MS). The variant was found during a routine Hb analysis for anemia in a 16-month-old boy who lived in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.