Serum Ferritin Levels in Patients of Beta–Thalassaemia Major, Receiving Repeated Blood Transfusion

Devaki R N; Harisha S A; Shree Harsha V; Vinod Kumar H R; Poojitha K

Volume : V, Issue : VII, July - 2015

Serum Ferritin Levels in Patients of Beta–Thalassaemia Major, Receiving Repeated Blood Transfusion

Devaki R N, Harisha S A, Shree Harsha V, Vinod Kumar H R, Poojitha K

Abstract :

Beta thalassaemia is a genetically inherited blood disorder that is oftenmanaged with chronic blood transfusions, typically every 15 to 25days depending upon the severity of anaemia.Regular blood transfusions, ineffective erythropoiesis and increased gastrointestinal iron absorption lead to iron overload in the body. The management of the iron overload is very important in these patients, requires the administration of iron chelatorsfrequently and evaluation of serum ferritin levels at regular intervals for the management assessment. In the present study serum ferritin levels of the patients with betathalassaemia major were measured. Majority of the patients revealed very high ferritin levels, i,e1969.69 ng/ml (SD 1195.706) ng/mland controls was only 83.75 (SD 25.968) ng/ml.These levels reflects inadequate chelation and vulnerability to develop iron overload related complications. Role of serum ferritin levels in thalassaemia is essential, because improvement in transfusion therapy in Beta thalassemia major patients, transfusion haemosiderosis has now become the major cause late morbidity and mortality.