Iron overload status in patients with non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia in China.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Iron overload is one of the main factors that increase morbidity and mortality in patients with non-transfusion dependent thalassemia (NTDT).

Aim

This study aimed at investigating the prevalence and severity of iron overload in Chinese NTDT patients.

Methods

we analyzed serum ferritin (SF), liver iron concentration (LIC) and cardiac T2* in 178 Chinese NTDT in this cross-sectional study.

Results

The median SF level was 996.00(27.15-19704.00) ng/ml and the median LIC value was 8.90(0.60-43.00) mg Fe/g dry weight (dw). The youngest patient with liver iron overload was 5 years old with 5.6 mg Fe/g dw in LIC. The median cardiac T2* was 33.06(7.46-75.08) ms. 6 patients had cardiac T2*⩽20ms. The patients with β thalassemia intermedia and HbE/β thalassemia showed a statistically significant lower Hb and higher values of SF and LIC than those of hemoglobin H disease patients. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, patients in ⩾ age 30-year old had a significant higher risk for iron overload (OR: 77.75, 95% CI: 8.76-690.49) in the age group. The detailed analysis of proportions of different LIC indicate in  > 30-year old group, 76.8% patients suffered from moderate and severe LIC.

Conclusion

Our study provides a strong support for the novel findings that Chinese NTDT patients have a high prevalence of iron overload. The first assessment of MRI LIC should be performed as early as 5 years old. Then, NTDT patients  > 30 years old may suffer with a high burden of iron overload.

SUBMITTER: Huang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8935562 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature