TY - JOUR
T1 - T2* MRI in regularly transfused children with thalassemia intermedia
T2 - Serum ferritin does not reflect liver iron stores
AU - Tony, Surekha
AU - Daar, Shahina
AU - Elshinawy, Mohamed
AU - Al-Zadjaly, Shoaib
AU - Al-Khabori, Murtadha
AU - Wali, Yasser
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was approved by the Medical Research and Ethics Committee, Sultan Qa-boos University Hospital and sponsored by a grant from the Deanship of Research, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. The study was explained to all patients and an informed written consent was obtained prior to the study.
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - Nontransfused patients with thalassemia intermedia (TI) accumulate iron due to increased gastrointestinal absorption of iron. Recent studies using T2* MRI revealed that serum ferritin does not reflect the severity of iron overload in nontransfused TI patients. We evaluated the iron overload status in TI children on monthly transfusion. Based on serum ferritin levels, 11 such patients (mean age 13.18 ± 4.09 years), were classified into two groups, group 1 (six patients) and group 2 (five patients) with serum ferritin levels below and above 1000 ng/mL, respectively. T2* MRI assessments were done for evaluation of hepatic and cardiac iron status. Group 1 and group 2 had mean serum ferritin levels of 817.300 ± 244.690 ng/mL and 1983.80 ± 662.862 ng/mL, respectively (P .003). T2* MRI showed comparable moderate to severe hepatic iron overload status in both. None of the patients had myocardial iron deposition. We conclude that serum ferritin does not reflect the hepatic iron overload status in our patients with TI on regular transfusion.
AB - Nontransfused patients with thalassemia intermedia (TI) accumulate iron due to increased gastrointestinal absorption of iron. Recent studies using T2* MRI revealed that serum ferritin does not reflect the severity of iron overload in nontransfused TI patients. We evaluated the iron overload status in TI children on monthly transfusion. Based on serum ferritin levels, 11 such patients (mean age 13.18 ± 4.09 years), were classified into two groups, group 1 (six patients) and group 2 (five patients) with serum ferritin levels below and above 1000 ng/mL, respectively. T2* MRI assessments were done for evaluation of hepatic and cardiac iron status. Group 1 and group 2 had mean serum ferritin levels of 817.300 ± 244.690 ng/mL and 1983.80 ± 662.862 ng/mL, respectively (P .003). T2* MRI showed comparable moderate to severe hepatic iron overload status in both. None of the patients had myocardial iron deposition. We conclude that serum ferritin does not reflect the hepatic iron overload status in our patients with TI on regular transfusion.
KW - Children
KW - Iron overload
KW - MRI
KW - Serum ferritin
KW - T2
KW - Thalassemia intermedia
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U2 - 10.3109/08880018.2012.708891
DO - 10.3109/08880018.2012.708891
M3 - Article
C2 - 22839111
AN - SCOPUS:84865346929
SN - 0888-0018
VL - 29
SP - 579
EP - 584
JO - Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
JF - Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
IS - 6
ER -