ESPE Abstracts

Background: Regular and frequent red blood cell transfusions have significantly increased the life expectancy of patients with β-thalassemia major (β-TM). However, when no appropriate chelation therapy is available, patients accumulate iron in the heart, liver, spleen, pancreas, and endocrine glands, leading to progressive organ dysfunction.Objective and hypotheses: To assess the correlation between cardiac and hepatic T2*MRI findings with the ...

Background: β-thalassemia major (β-TM) is the most common genetically determined chronic hemolytic anemia. Studies reported that patients with β-thalassemia are zinc deficient due to increased utilization of zinc by oxidative stress, increased urinary zinc excretion and sequestration in the liver.The development of abnormal glucose tolerance in β-TM is associated with alteration in oxidant-antioxidant status. Zinc plays an essen...