This study was designed to evaluate the effects of colchicine in the improvement of clinical outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on adult patients (>18 years) with severe COVID-19. The included patients were randomly (1:1) assigned to the colchicine (2 mg loading dose followed by 0.5 mg twice daily for 7 days) or placebo group. Both groups received remdesivir and interferon beta-1b. The primary outcome of the study was to receive clinical response as ordinal scale of 1 or 2. Secondary outcomes were hospital complications and 28-day mortality. Between February and May 2021, 110 patients were included and 106 of them were analyzed. Baseline clinical characteristics and demographics were not significantly different. According to the ordinal scale, 30 patients in the control group (58.8%) responded to treatment within 7 days, while 35 patients (63.6%) in the colchicine group showed the same response (p = 0.61, odds ratio (OR) = 1.23, 95% CI [0.560–2.68]). On the 14th day, 87.3% of the colchicine group (n = 48) and 82.4% of the control group (n = 42) responded (p = 0.48, OR = 1.47, 95% CI [0.50.3–4.29]. In addition, 28-day mortality, intensive care unit admission, and hospital duration were not different between the groups (p = 0.99, 0.59, 0.06). Diarrhea and nausea were the major side effects dominant in the colchicine group. Colchicine showed no beneficial effects on clinical improvement and hospital complications in patients with COVID-19. Moreover, in case of prescription, the safety concerns of colchicine, specially gastrointestinal side effects, should be taken into account.

Ferritin is frequently used to screen some dire consequences of iron overload in β-thalassemia patients. The study aimed to define the best cutoff point of ferritin to screen for cardiac and liver hemosiderosis in these cases. This was a registry-based study on β-thalassemia patients living throughout Mazandaran province, Iran (n = 1959). In this diagnostic research, the index test was ferritin levels measured by a chemiluminescent immunoassay. As a reference test, T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2*-weighted MRI) was applied to determine cardiac and liver hemosiderosis. A cutoff point of 2027 ng/mL for ferritin showed a sensitivity of 50%, specificity 77.4%, PPV 42.1%, and NPV 82.5% for cardiac hemosiderosis (area under curve [AUC] 0.66, 95% CI 0.60–0.71, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.05, 95% CI 1.05–4.01). At an optimum cutoff point of 1090 ng/mL, sensitivity 66.7%, specificity 68%, PPV 82.9%, and NPV 46.8% for liver hemosiderosis were estimated (AUC 0.68, 95% CI 0.63–0.73, adjusted OR 3.93, 95% CI 2.02–7.64. The likelihood of cardiac hemosiderosis serum ferritin levels below 2027 ng/mL is 17.5%. Moreover, 82.9% of β-thalassemia patients with serum ferritin levels above 1090 ng/mL may suffer from liver hemosiderosis, regardless of the grades.

Vitamin D‐dependent rickets type 1 (VDDRIA) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the Cytochrome P450 Family 27 Subfamily B Member 1 (CYP27B1) gene, which encodes for the enzyme 1 alpha‐hydroxylase. We report a known case of VDDRIA with hypotonia, growth and developmental disorders and discuss about the mutation and its management.

One of the most common nutritional deficiencies worldwide is iron deficiency. Fatigue, pallor, vertigo, dyspnea, cold intolerance, lethargy, palpitation, headache, and the pallor of the mucous membranes or nail beds are the most frequent symptoms and signs of iron deficiency. Thrombocytosis is commonly observed in iron deficiency anemia; it seems that erythropoietin plays the main role in this respect. Furthermore, thrombocytopenia and even leukopenia have been reported in iron deficiency; however, pancytopenia is a very rare condition. In this report, we presented two unusual cases of pancytopenia due to severe iron deficiency that improved after treatment with oral iron supplements. Iron deficiency anemia, if sufficiently severe, may be associated with reduced platelet and leukocyte counts. Accordingly, this condition should be considered as a differential diagnosis in all patients with pancytopenia.