BACKGROUND Although a marked proportion of thalassemic patients acquire Torque teno virus (TTV) through blood transfusion, its clinical importance is unclear. This study was designed to investigate the clinical importance of TTV infection in thalassemic patients with and without hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection in Iran. METHODS In this case-control study, 107 thalassemic patients on chron...

beta-Thalassemic mice provide a useful model for studying the pathophysiology of human beta-thalassemia in that one can perform experiments that are difficult to perform in humans. The ease of access to beta-thalassemic mouse marrow provided the opportunity to explore the cause of the ineffective erythropoiesis that characterizes severe beta-thalassemia in mouse and man. We hypothesized that th...

Background. MRI has emerged for the noninvasive assessment of iron overload in various tissues. The aim of this paper is to evaluate hepatic and pancreatic iron overload by T2(∗) weighted gradient echo MRI in young beta-thalassemia major patients and to correlate it with glucose disturbance and postsplenectomy status. Subjects and Methods. 50 thalassemic patients, in addition to 15 healthy cont...

A modified antiglobulin test, based on the high affinity between the Fc portion of the red blood cell (RBC) bound IgG and the Fc receptor on the myeloid cell K-562, was utilized for demonstration of immunoglobulins (Ig) on thalassemic RBC. Ig was found on the RBC of 73 out of 80 patients with thalassemia. The immunoglobulins on the thalassemic RBC belonged to the IgG subclass and were autoreact...

We studied the nature of enucleated RBCs containing DNA remnants, Howell-Jolly (HJ) RBCs and reticulocytes (retics), that are characteristically present in the circulation of thalassemic patients, especially after splenectomy. Using flow cytometry methodology, we measured oxidative status parameters of these cells in patients with β-thalassemia. In each patient studied, these cells had higher c...

Plasmodium falciparum infecting alpha-thalassemic erythrocytes (Hb H or Hb H/Hb Constant Spring) is resistant to artemisinin derivatives. Similar resistance, albeit at a much lower level, is shown by the parasite infecting beta-thalassemia/Hb E erythrocytes. The resistance is due to host-specific factors, one of which is the higher uptake of the drugs by thalassemic erythrocytes than normal ery...

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 ...

BACKGROUND Thalassemic patients suffer from diabetes mellitus secondary to hemosiderosis. AIMS The study aimed to evaluate pancreatic iron overload by T2*-weighted Gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in young beta-thalassemia major patients and to correlate it with glucose disturbances, hepatic hemosiderosis, serum ferritin and splenectomy. METHODS Forty thalassemic patients (20 ...

Thalassemias are a geographically widespread group of genetic hemoglobinopathies characterized by defective globin production and hemolytic anemia [1]. Thalassemic patients are frequently transfusiondependent and this, in addition to heightened gastrointestinal avidity for iron, creates a propensity for iron overload [1]. Infection is a major cause of morbidity in thalassemic patients and is se...