Biochemical bone profile in thalassemia major patients on desferrioxamine therapy.

Abstract

To assess the biochemical bone profile in thalassemia major (TM) patients treated with desferrioxamine (DFO) as compared with TM patients not taking DFO treatment. Parameters measured included serum total calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. The relationship between these parameters and the age of the patients, dose of DFO and the duration of treatment was examined.This study was conducted in Thalassemia Center at Ibn-Al-Atheer Pediatrics and Maternity Teaching Hospital in Mosul, during the period from June to September 2007. Blood samples were obtained from 27 TM patients ,all receiving periodic blood transfusion, 15 well-controlled on DFO treatment and 12 showing clinical signs of iron overload (IOL) and not taking DFO treatment. Serum total calcium, phosphorus and ALP activity were measured and compared between both groups. The relationship between the measured parameters with the age of thalassemic patients, dose and duration of DFO treatment was also studied. The collected data were analyzed by unpaired Student's t-test and the relationship between measured parameters and age, dose and duration of DFO therapy were determined by Pearson correlation. No significant difference was found between the TM patients on DFO and TM patients not taking DFO therapy regarding serum total calcium, phosphorus and ALP. No correlation was found between the dose of DFO and serum total calcium , phosphorus and ALP in the TM patients on DFO therapy, whereas significant inverse correlation was found between the duration of DFO therapy and serum ALP activity (r = - 0.480 ) in TM patients on DFO therapy. Furthermore, significant inverse correlation was found between the age of patients and serum ALP activity (r = - 0.523). No evidence of deleterious effects of DFO on the bone in TM patients was found; however, periodic biochemical bone examinations and further more , radiological examinations are warranted for such patients.