Background: Laboratory errors arise at any stage of testing. Detecting these inaccuracies before results are revealed might delay diagnosis and treatment, causing patient distress. Here, we studied the preanalytical errors in a hematology laboratory. Methods: This one-year retrospective analysis was conducted at the laboratory of a tertiary care hospital and included information on blood samples that were taken for hematology tests from both outpatients and inpatients. Laboratory records included sample collection and rejection information. The type and frequency of preanalytical errors were expressed as a proportion of total errors and sample number. Microsoft Excel was utilized to enter data. The results were presented in the form of frequency tables. Results: This research included 67,892 hematology samples. For preanalytical errors, 886 samples (1.3%) were discarded. The most common preanalytical error was insufficient sample (54.17%), and the least common was an empty/damaged tube (0.4%). Erroneous samples in the emergency department were mostly insufficient and clotted, whereas pediatric sample errors were caused by insufficient and diluted samples. Conclusion: Inadequate samples and clotted samples account for the vast majority of preanalytical factors. Insufficiency and dilutional errors were most frequent from pediatric patients. Adherence to best laboratory practices can drastically cut down on preanalytical errors.

Mutations in the highly similar genes B-cell translocation gene 1 (BTG1) and BTG2 are identified in approximately 10–15% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases, which may suggest a direct involvement of BTG1 and BTG2 in malignant transformation. However, it is unclear whether or how disease-associated mutations impair the function of these genes. Therefore, we selected 16 BTG1 variants based on in silico analysis. We then evaluated (i) the ability of these variants to interact with the known protein-binding partners CNOT7 and CNOT8, which encode the Caf1 catalytic subunit of the Ccr4–Not deadenylase complex; (ii) the activity of the variant proteins in cell cycle progression; (iii) translational repression; and (iv) mRNA degradation. Based on these analyses, we conclude that mutations in BTG1 may contribute to malignant transformation and tumor cell proliferation by interfering with its anti-proliferative activity and ability to interact with CNOT7 and CNOT8.

The Dombrock (DO) blood group system has two primary antigens, Do^a and Do^b, which can cause delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions. The paucity of specific monospecific antibodies can hamper the typing based on these antigens. Thus, blood group genotyping (BGG) was investigated as a possible solution. Sequence-specific primers were designed to target a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs11276) on the ART4 gene encoding the DO*A and DO*B alleles. Blood samples (n = 150) from randomly selected volunteer donors were used. DNA was extracted and resulting PCR products were purified and sequenced. The allelic frequencies of DO*A and DO*B were (n = 122, 40.67%) and (n = 178, 59.33%), respectively. The distributions of DO genotypes were as follows: DO*A/DO*A (n = 20), 13.33%; DO*B/DO*B (n = 48), 32.00%; and DO*A/DO*B (n = 82), 54.67%. In conclusion, this study reports on the allelic frequencies of DO*A and DO*B of the DO blood group system in Jazan Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, this study reports on the prevalence of each genotype, of which DO*A/DO*B was the most abundant. This study contributes significantly to build the current blood donor database in Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Moreover, it may assist in providing safe blood to polytransfused patients and reduce the risk of the red cell alloimmunization.

The National Premarital Screening Program, which includes sickle cell disease and thalassemia, was made mandatory in 2004 by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the earlier studies have shown a poor knowledge and negative attitude toward this program in the different study groups. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward premarital screening (PMS) in a randomly selected national sample of the Saudi population, 18 years and above. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Saudi population in the western region between July and December 2021. Valid and reliable questionnaire and data were collected from 893 participants aged ≥18 years. The χ² test was used to ascertain if there is an association between categorical variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors predicting satisfactory knowledge. All 893 study participants had heard about PMS with 625 (70.0%), 244 (27.3%) and 24 (2.7%) having satisfactory, fair and poor knowledge, respectively. Participants aged 26–35 years (p =0 .038), females (p < 0.001), those with higher education (p = 0.003) and employed (p = 0.004), had a better knowledge compared to other groups. Most of the participants had a positive attitude toward PMS. There is a changing trend in the knowledge and attitude toward PMS with a greater number of people wanting to go for PMS. There is also an improvement in the number of participants opting out of marriage in case of incompatibility with their future partner. However, the health education programs need to be improved regarding the hemoglobinopathies.

Background/Objectives: The CD4⁺ T-cell count is a primary indicator of immune status in HIV-positive patients. Rapid identification of immune suppression severity may improve clinical decision-making and triage. The relationship between CD4⁺ counts and other immunologic and hematologic markers, however, is not well characterized, especially in resource-limited settings. The objectives of this study were to classify HIV-positive patients by CD4⁺ T-cell count, compare hematologic and immunologic markers across severity groups, assess correlations between CD4⁺ and other variables, and evaluate routine blood tests’ potential to serve as surrogate indicators of immune status. Methods: A retrospective cohort of 229 HIV-positive patients from the Regional Laboratory in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, was stratified into three groups: severe (500 cells/mm³). Hematologic (RBC, Hb, Hct, ESR, WBC, and lymphocytes) and immunologic (CD3, CD4, CD8, B, NK cells, and CD4/CD8 ratio) data were analyzed using ANOVA and Pearson correlation. Results: Significant group differences were observed in RBC, Hb, Hct, ESR, and lymphocyte counts (p < 0.001). CD4⁺ counts correlated positively with CD3 (r = 0.76), B cells (r = 0.63), and CD8⁺ (r = 0.41) and negatively with ESR (r = –0.37). Over 75% of the patients had disrupted CD4/CD8 ratios, and one-third of the severely immunosuppressed patients showed abnormal B- and NK-cell counts. Conclusions: Routine hematologic markers reflect immune suppression severity and can serve as accessible, low-cost tools for monitoring HIV-positive patients in resource-limited settings. Integrating these parameters into immune monitoring may enhance early assessment and provide regional benchmarks for clinical evaluation.