• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.8
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• pp.827-833
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• 2008

Purpose : Early identification of iron deficiency in young children is essential to prevent damaging long-term consequences. It is often difficult for the pediatrician to know which indices should be used when diagnosing these conditions especially in hospitalized young children. This study investigated the clinical significances of reticulocyte hemoglobin content in young children with acute infection. Methods : We studied 69 young children aged from 6 to 24 months admitted with acute infection in a single center. Venous blood was drawn to determine hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), hemoglobin content (CH), reticulocyte hemoglobin content (CHr), and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) using ADVIA 120 (Bayer Diagnostics, NY, USA). For evaluating iron status, iron, total iron binding capacity, ferritin and transferrin saturation (Tfsat) were determined. Iron deficiency was defined as Tfsat less than 20%, and iron deficiency anemia as Tfsat less than 20% and Hb level less than 11 g/dL. Results : In all, 47 were iron deficient; 17 of these had iron deficiency anemia. CHr was the only significant predictor of iron deficiency (likelihood ratio test=71.25; odds ratio=0.67; P<0.05). Plasma ferritin level had no predictive value (P=0.519). Subjects with CHr less than 27.4 pg had lower Hb level, MCH, CH, Tfsat, and iron levels than those with CHr 27.4 pg or more (P<0.05 for all). Conclusion : CHr level was a sensitive screening tool and the strongest predictor of iron deficiency in hospitalized infants with acute infection; it was cost saving and avoiding additional sampling. However its reference range should be established.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.284-291
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• 2005

Purpose : Flow cytometric automated reticulocyte analysis is a superior method to manual reticulocyte counting, with respect to precision and sensitivity. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis is able to measure immature reticulocyte fraction(IRF) and reticulocyte cellular indices(RCI : cell hemoglobin content : CHr, mean cell volume : MCVr, cell hemoglobin concentration mean : CHCMr, distribytion width : RDWr, HDWr, CHDWr). In this study, we investigated the mean values and clinical significances of IRF and RCI in healthy children and pediatric anemia patients. Methods : IRF and RCI were measured with an automated blood cell analyzer, ADVIA 120(Bayer, USA) using oxazine 750 dye, in 57 healthy children and 61 children with anemia. The anemia group consisted of 27 iron deficiency anemia(IDA) patients and 34 patients with anemia associated with acute infection(AAI). We compared the mean values of IRF and RCI in the control group classified according to age, between anemia groups and the control group, and between the IDA group and the AAI group. Results : For the normal control group, the mean values of IRF, CHr, MCVr and HDWr were higher in neonates when compared to older children. The mean values of IRF and RDWr were significantly higher, and the mean values of CHr and CHCMr were significantly lower in the IDA group when compared to the control group. The mean value of IRF was significantly higher, and the mean value of CHDWr was significantly lower in the AAI group when compared to the control group. The mean values of IRF, CHr and CHCMr were significantly lower in the IDA group when compared to the AAI group. Conclusion : We could determine the normal mean values of IRF and RCI in healthy children classified according to age for understanding of hematopoietic response differences according to age. The evaluation of IRF and RCI by automated reticulocyte analyzer seemed to be accurate and clinically useful for the early diagnosis of anemia and the differentiation of IDA from AAI.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 1981

For centuries, ginseng has been used for the therapeutic purpose in oriental herb medicine. Several studies have been conducted in the past to evaluate the effect of ginseng on erythropoiesis. However the results were controversial. We therefore attempted in the present studies to evaluate the effect of ginseng on the erythropoietic activity. In one series of experiments, the recovery pattern of peripheral blood(red cell count, hemoglobin content, hematocrit and reticulocyte count) was studied in posthemorrhagic anemic rabbits. After animals were maintained with normal(control group) or 1 gm% ginseng (experimental group) diet for 2 weeks, hemorrhagic anemia was induced by withdrawing blood equivalent to 25% of the total blood volume and then changes in peripheral blood were followed for following 30 days. In other series of experiments, we studied effect of ginseng on erythrokinetics using $^{59}Fe$. $^{59}Fe(10{\sim}40\;{\mu}Ci/animal)$ was injected intravenously after animals were fed with normal (control group) or 1 gm% ginseng(experimental group) diet for 2 weeks. And radioactivities in the blood compartments were measured at appropriate intervals for 15 days. Front these various erythrokinetic parameters were estimated. Results are summarized as follows: 1) Reticulocyte count was higher in the experimental group than in the control group after 2 weeks of administration of experimental diet. During the posthemorrhagic period, the reticulocyte count increased in both the control and experimental groups, but the increase appeared much earlier in the experimental group. 2) The posthemorrhagic recoveries of hematocrit, hemoglobin content and red cell count appeared to be faster in the experimental group as compaired with the control group. 3) The half life$(T_{1/2})$ of $^{59}Fe$ in the plasma was significantly(P<0.05) shorter in the experimental group(82.6 min, N=8) than in the control group(121 min, N=6). Plasma iron turnover (PIT) of the experimental group (1.78 mg/dl/24 hr.) was approximately 4 times greater than that of the control group(0.45 mg/dl/24 hr.). 4) The maximum red cell utilization(RC-U) was 82.1% in the experimental group ana 74.5% in the control group. Red cell iron turnover(RIT) of the experimental group(1.62 mg/dl/24 hr.) was slightly higher than that of the control group(0.35 mg/dl/24 hr). 5) Erythron turnover was significantly(p<0.05) greater in the experimental group(1.27 mg/dl/24 hr.) than in the control group(0.24 mg/dl/24 hr.). Marrow transit time of the experimental group(2.05 days) tended to he faster than that of the control group(2.84 days). These results suggest that the gingseng improves the recovery of posthemorrhagic anemia and stimulates the erythropoiesis in rabbits.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.635-645
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• 1994

The environmental pollution by heavy metals has become a significant hygenic problem. Recently it is said the garlic supplementation in diet have protective effect on the heavy metal accumulation in tissue of rat by a researcher. In this study two experiments were undertaken. Firstly, dogs were fed diet supplemented with cadmium of cadmium plus 7% of raw garlic for 50 days. on the 50th day of experiment all dogs were euthanasied and the cadmium content of various tissue were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometeric method. Secondly, in order to find out the toxic effect of garlic dogs were fed diet supplemented with 7% of raw garlic for 50 days and hematological or hematochemical observations were undertaken at 10 day intervals. The results obtained from these experiments were summarized as follows; 1. In dogs treated with cadmium and cadmium plus garlic cadmium was accumulated in renal cortex, liver, and muscle. However the concentrations of cadmium showed no significant between the two group. 2. In dogs fed diets supplemented with 7% of raw garlic significant decrease of erythrocyte count, packed cell volume and hemoglobin content and significant increase of Heinz body erythrocyte and reticulocyte count were recognized. 3. The garlic-treated dogs and control dogs had normal asparate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphotase, blood urea nitrogen value. The value showed no significant difference between the two group. 4. From these results it may be concluded that the garlic have protective effect for cadmium accmulation in tissue and excess garlic in diet could induce hemolytic anemia in dogs.