AIMS In light of the growing recognition of renal disease in thalassemia, it is important to understand the impact of renal impairment on the pharmacokinetics of iron chelators. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics and safety of the iron chelator deferiprone (DFP) in subjects with renal impairment in comparison with healthy volunteers (HVs). METHODS Thirty-two subjects were categorized i...

BACKGROUND Growing body of evidence suggests that Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with oxidative damage via iron accumulation in the substantia nigra (SN). Low ceruloplasmin (CP)-ferroxidase activity has been identified in the SN and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with PD. The iron chelator, deferiprone, reduces the abnormally high levels of iron in the SN. In order to determi...

BACKGROUND The UK Thalassaemia Register records births, deaths and selected clinical data of patients with thalassaemia who are resident in the UK. A study of survival and causes of death was undertaken which aimed to include the possible impact of T2* cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). METHODS The Register was updated to the end of 2003, copies of death certificates were obtained, and ...

OBJECTIVE Ascertainment of an appropriate strategy of iron chelation for multi-transfused thalassemic children in developing countries. DESIGN Prospective study from May 2000 to April 2001. SETTING Urban tertiary care center. METHODS Thirty thalassemic children having received more than 20 blood transfusions and a serum ferritin greater than 1500 ng/ml were enrolled and randomized into th...

Free radical formation is primarily initiated from metal catalytic centers involving iron and copper. Under certain conditions, free radical reactions can lead to free radical cascades and oxidative stress, which can cause biomolecular, cellular and tissue damage (FRD). The use of natural antioxidants to prevent FRD is in most cases not effective. Many chelators have been shown to inhibit free ...

Over the last 20 years, management for thalassemia major has improved to the point where we predict that patients' life expectancy will approach that of the normal population. These outcomes result from safer blood transfusions, the availability of three iron chelators, new imaging techniques that allow specific organ assessment of the degree of iron overload, and improvement in the treatment o...