Correlation of Iron Over load and Trace Elements in beta Thalassemia Major Patients

Beta thalassemia is a single gene disorder requiring regular multi-blood transfusion which causes serious side effects an overload of iron in the form of ferritin. Excess or free iron can catalyze the formation of very toxic compound such as OH⁻radicals through Fenton reaction which causes oxidativedamage. This oxidativedamage causes the pathogenesis of the membrane abnormalities observed in beta thalassemia. We determined whether thalassemia could account for abnormal cation transport system. Traditionally serum iron, ferritin, and the % saturation, an indirect measurement of transferrin, have been used to determine iron status. In this study, we observed that the serum ferritin level was significantly increased in beta thalassemic major (BTM) bpatients as compared to age & sex matched healthy controls. It is significantly increases with number of blood transfusions. Trace elements also interfear with iron overload in this patients.