Objective. Thalassemic children are dependent on regular blood transfusions in order to sustain health and life. Thus, they are significantly exposed to transfusion transmitted diseases. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B and C in a group of multitransfused thalassemic children in Punjab. Methods. 116 children, ages seven and a half months to eighteen years, were...

BACKGROUND/AIMS The distribution of blood lipids, glucose and their determinants in thalassemic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has rarely been investigated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between both liver histologic findings and viral markers and serum lipids in thalassemic patients chronically infected with HCV. METHODS We enrolled 280 polytransfuse...

It is well known that thalassemic patients exhibit an increased frequency of thrombotic events. Most individuals with resistance to activated protein C (APCR) are the result of a point mutation replacing Arg 506 with Gln in the factor V aminoacidic sequence (factor V Leiden). Recently APCR has been shown to account for up to 50% of cases of thrombophilia. In this report, we describe a 10 year o...

β-thalassemia is the most common single gene disorder worldwide, in which hemoglobin β-chain production is decreased. Today, the life expectancy of thalassemic patients is increased because of a variety of treatment methods; however treatment related complications have also increased. The most common side effect is osteoporosis, which usually occurs in early adulthood as a consequence of increa...

AIMS β-Thalassemia is a common inherited red cell disorder characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis and severe oxidative stress. Peroxiredoxin-2 (Prx2), a typical 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin, is upregulated during β-thalassemic erythropoiesis, but its contribution to stress erythropoiesis, a common feature of thalassemia, is yet to be fully defined. RESULTS Here, we showed that Prx2(-/-) mice...

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) are three most common chronic viral pathogens among multitransfused thalassemic major individuals. HCV and HIV consist of a positive single stranded RNA genome, whereas HBV is a partially double stranded DNA virus. These viruses have similar routes of transmission, namely through blood and blood products, sharing of ne...

Introduction. Red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization and autoimmunization remain a major problem in transfusion dependent thalassemic patients. There is a paucity of data on the incidence of RBC alloimmunization and autoimmunization in thalassemic patients from eastern part of India, as pretransfusion antibody screening is not routinely performed. Aims. To assess the incidence of RBC alloimmuniz...

BACKGROUND AND AIM Trace elements and vitamins play a vital role in human body to perform its function properly. Thalassemic patients are at risk of micronutrient deficiency. This study estimated levels of vitamins A, C, E, B12, folic acid, total homocysteine (tHcy), and methylmalonic acid (MMA) along with trace elements, zinc, copper, and selenium in Beta-thalassemia-major patients. METHODS ...

Regular blood transfusion followed by iron chelation therapy is just a supportive treatment for thalassemia major which is associated with serious complications. Growth disturbances are a major clinical feature of untreated patients with thalassemia. The increasing mean survival age is indicative of the fact that modern therapies are generally safe and effective but it is becoming increasingly ...