Study of Some Endocrine Glands Dysfunction and Their Effects on Growth in Beta- Thalassemia Major Patients in Thiqar Governorate

Abstract

Background :Beta-thalassemia is a herediatory haemoglobinopathy and because of severity of anemia in this disease, the patients require regular blood transfusion, large number of complications occure from the disease itself or from its treatment like blood transfusion or chelating therapy. Aims of study : study of thyroid dysfunction , growth hormone deficiency,short stature and diabetes mellitus in patient with beta-thalassemia major in Thiqar governorate.Patients and Mthods: this study include 80 beta-thassemia major patients aged 2-18 years and 80 subjects were included as control group.Morning venous blood samples were withdrawn from all participants. T3, T4,TSH and S.ferritin were estimated by ELFA technique while GH was estimated by ELISA technique. S.glucose and Hb were estmited by colorimetric methods . Results:High significant decrease in blood Hb levels in thalassemic patients as compare to control subgroups (p<0.01).High significant increase in S.ferritin levels in thalassemic patient as compare to control subgroups (p<0.01).The percentage of diabetes mellitus was 3.75%( 3/80) and all above ten years. Percentage of GH deficiency was 23.7% (19/80) and present in all ages and short stature prevalence was 36/80 (45%) . GH deficient form 50% of short stature patients . Primary hypothyroidism forms (2/80) 2.5% of total patients and male to female ratio was 1:1 and both were more than ten years old age .There was significant elevation in S.ferritin in GH deficienct as compare to other patients (p<0.05). No statistical correlation between S.ferritin and thyroid hormones .Conclusions : Variation in Hb levels between patients reflect the difference in severity of thalassemic disease which may be due to genetic causes.GH deficiency and short stature are present in all ages.The difference in S.ferritin levels among patients associate with accumulated blood transfusion and compliance with chelation therapy