Imatinib, the first Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) used for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) has revolutionized the management by inhibiting BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase. According to earlier reports there are concerns regarding the adverse effect of imatinib on haemostasis by causing platelet dysfunction. Here we studied platelet function using platelet aggregometry, in 19 CML chronic phase (CML-CP) patients on imatinib therapy, in complete haematologic response (CHR). The median duration of imatinib therapy before performing the test was 154 days. This study reveals that there are large inter-individual variations in platelet functions among imatinib treated patients and different levels of variability have been seen for different agonists. Most common aggregation abnormality (< 50% aggregation) was seen with low dose collagen (1 μg/ml) in 31.57% patients. Despite in-vitro platelet aggregation defects, none of the patients showed any bleeding symptoms. This enigma can possibly be explained by the fact that platelet specific agonists, epinephrine and collagen act in synergy for platelet aggregation compared against individual low dose agonists, supported by ex-vivo experiments in normal healthy control group (n = 5) (p value < 0.0004 for epinephrine, p value < 0.0001 for collagen). This experiment was also confirmed in a CML-CP patient. In future, more studies are needed to find out the exact mechanism of this inhibition.

Hb E-beta thalassemia is a major public health problem in West Bengal, India and is the predominant symptom producing thalassemia in this part of the country. To search for an easy, reliable and cost effective screening method for HbE that can be used at the community level where more sophisticated methods are not readily available. And the DCIP test was performed for the purpose. Blood samples of 425 asymptomatic family members from 80 diagnosed cases of HbE beta Thalassemia patients were tested for Hb, RBC indices, DCIP test, HPLC, and in discordant cases confirmed by DNA mutation analysis. The present study shows DCIP screening test to have a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 96.39%, 97.43%, 96.39% and 97.43% respectively. It also shows a false positive rate and false negative rate in 2.56% and 4.6% cases respectively. The advantage with DCIP over HPLC is that it can be easily performed at the community level by a person with minimum technical skill, few samples (even a single sample) can be tested at time, at a low cost.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) with vaso-occlusive pain crisis (VOC) has a major impact on healthcare resource utilisation and poses a significant financial burden for the patients. This study examines the economic implications of managing VOC in individuals with SCD in India, from the perspectives of patients, healthcare system and society. Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study included 1000 patients with SCD across 14 centres enrolled from November 2021 to June 2022. Data were collected systematically using a structured electronic case record form. Employing a cost-of-illness approach, the study assessed the economic impact of SCD and VOC management, including assessing patient/caregiver costs, healthcare provider costs and societal burdens extrapolated to the larger SCD population in India. Findings: Patients incurred substantial out-of-pocket expenses, with a median (IQR) annual expenditure of INR 22 080/US$267 (IQR: INR 36 990/US$447.7), representing 14.65% (26.53) of their annual household income. Overall, catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE) for total annual average SCD care with VOC management was experienced by 624 patients (62.40%). Moreover, 334 patients (33.4%) experienced CHE of >25% of the annual household income. Patients with SCD with VOC had significantly higher median annual healthcare expenditures and used a higher median percentage of their yearly household income on healthcare compared with those without VOC (19.82% vs 6.08%; p<0.001). Cost incurred by healthcare providers for VOC management in different healthcare facilities (outpatient department/emergency department/intensive care unit) was similar across different reimbursed facilities (government tertiary care hospitals, non-governmental organisation-operated healthcare centres and government-subsidised healthcare setups). The estimated societal burden for VOC management in 1 year for 1000 patients visiting different healthcare facilities was around INR 35 119 074 (~US$0.42 million). Interpretation: These findings highlight the considerable economic strain on both patients and healthcare providers in SCD and VOC management, which is similar to the other non-communicable diseases emphasising the urgent need for targeted interventions to improve financial hardships among patients. Funding: The study was funded by Novartis Healthcare Private Limited.