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Objective

There are some reports in which a condition of zinc deficiency and its associated outcomes with a change in concentration of serum copper among the thalassemic patients has been highlighted. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the serum zinc and copper levels in children with beta-thalassemia major.

Methods

In this cross sectional study all children under 12 years affected by beta thalassemia major (40 patients) were evaluated for serum zinc and copper levels in Qazvin thalassemia center (Qazvin, Iran) in 2007. Serum measurements for zinc and copper were performed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer.

Findings

The mean concentrations of serum zinc and copper levels were 67.35±20.38 and 152.42±24.17 µg/dl respectively. Twenty-six (65%) of thalassemic patients had zinc concentration under 70 µg/dl (hypozincemia). None of the thalassemic children had copper deficiency. No significant correlation between serum zinc level with age, weight, height, body mass index, duration of blood transfusion, desferrioxamine dose and ferritin level was observed in thalassemic patients (P=0.3).

Conclusion

This study revealed that hypozincemia is common in thalassemic patients, but in contrast, there is no copper deficiency. Further evaluation in this regard is recommended.

There is controversy regarding definition of vitamin D inadequacy. We analyzed threshold 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) below which intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) increases, and examined age- and sex-specific changes of 25(OH)D and iPTH, and association of 25(OH)D and iPTH with bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly Koreans. Anthropometric parameters, serum 25(OH)D and iPTH, lumbar spine and femur BMD by dual-energy radiography absorptiometry (DXA) were measured in 441 men and 598 postmenopausal women. iPTH increased below serum 25(OH) of 36.7 ng/mL in men, but failed to reach plateau in women. Femur neck BMD above and below threshold differed when threshold 25(OH)D concentrations were set at 15-27.5 ng/mL in men, and 12.5-20 ng/mL in postmenopausal women. Vitamin D-inadequate individuals older than 75 yr had higher iPTH than those aged ≤ 65 yr. In winter, age-associated iPTH increase in women was steeper than in summer. In conclusion, vitamin D inadequacy threshold cannot be estimated based on iPTH alone, and but other factors concerning bone health should also be considered. Older people seemingly need higher 25(OH)D levels to offset age-associated hyperparathyroidism. Elderly vitamin D-inadequate women in the winter are most vulnerable to age-associated hyperparathyroidism.

Thirty patients with thalassemia major receiving repeated blood transfusion were studied to see their serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium status. Serum PTH, serum and 24 h urinary calcium, and serum alkaline phosphatase, phosphorus, and albumin-corrected calcium levels were determined. Half of these patients, in addition to transfusion, were also supplemented with vitamin D (60,000 IU for 10d) and calcium (1500 mg/day for 3 months). Serum PTH, and serum and 24 h urinary calcium concentrations of the patients receiving transfusions were found to be significantly reduced while their serum alkaline phosphatase, phosphorus, and albumin-corrected calcium levels were not significantly altered when compared to the respective mean values for the control group. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation significantly increased their serum PTH and calcium levels. Supplementations also increased urinary excretion of calcium. The results thus suggest that patients with thalassemia have hypoparathyroidism and reduced serum calcium concentrations that in turn were improved with vitamin D and calcium supplementation.

Background:

Thalassemia is a common hemoglobin disorder in Iran and one of the major public health problems. Although blood transfusions are lifesavers for thalassemia patients, they may be associated with some complications especially erythrocyte alloimmunization. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of red blood cell alloantibodies and to determine types of these antibodies among multiple-transfused thalassemic patients.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 313 thalassemia patients in the northeast of Iran, who received regular blood transfusion, were included in this study. Screening of antibodies was performed on fresh serum of all patients and then antibodies were identified in patients’ serum that had positive antibody screening test using a panel of recognized blood group antigens.

Results:

We identified 12 alloantibodies in 9 patients (2.87%) that all were against Rhesus (Rh) blood group antigens (D, C, E). Three patients developed 2 antibodies, and others had one antibody. The most common alloantibodies were Anti-D (88.88%) and followed by Anti-C and Anti-E. Higher frequency of alloimmunization was observed in female, Rh negative and splenectomized patients.

Conclusion:

This study showed that evaluation of the packed cells for Rh (C, E) from the start of transfusion can be helpful in decreasing the rate of alloantibody synthesis.

AIMS: Serum concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) were determined in beta thalassemic patients before and after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) to evaluate whether changes in TNF concentrations after BMT were related to immune mediated complications. METHODS: Serum TNF concentrations were determined by enzyme linked immunoassay (EIA) in paired samples from 71 patients with beta thalassemia before and after BMT. Serial samples from 13 patients were also studied for up to six months after BMT. Forty one normal healthy children matched for sex and age were studied as controls. RESULTS: beta thalassemic patients had high serum TNF concentrations before transplantation compared with controls. These were not related to sex, age, duration of disease, number of blood transfusions, transferrin concentrations or splenectomy. DQw1 positive patients showed significantly lower TNF concentrations than non-DQw1 cases. Patients with severe liver fibrosis had significantly higher TNF concentrations. No correlation was found between TNF values and BMT outcome before transplantation but TNF alpha values fell significantly after BMT. The decrease persisted only in patients with successful engraftment. In serial samples studied for up to six months after BMT, TNF values decreased but in four out of five patients with graft rejection and in all five with acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) sharp increases occurred at the time of clinical symptoms. No correlation was found between the degree of GVHD and serum TNF-alpha concentrations nor between TNF-alpha concentrations after BMT and the presence of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. CONCLUSIONS: About 50% of beta thalassemic patients have increased serum TNF, and the changes after BMT are related to the occurrence of immune mediate complications. The persistence of low TNF concentrations after successful engraftment may be due to the preparative regimen and the lack of adverse immune reactions.

Adults with β thalassemia major frequently have low BMD, fractures, and bone pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of low BMD, fractures, and bone pain in all thalassemia syndromes in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, associations of BMD with fractures and bone pain, and etiology of bone disease in thalassemia. Patients of all thalassemia syndromes in the Thalassemia Clinical Research Network, ≥6 yr of age, with no preexisting medical condition affecting bone mass or requiring steroids, participated. We measured spine and femur BMD and whole body BMC by DXA and assessed vertebral abnormalities by morphometric X-ray absorptiometry (MXA). Medical history by interview and review of medical records, physical examinations, and blood and urine collections were performed. Three hundred sixty-one subjects, 49% male, with a mean age of 23.2 yr (range, 6.1–75 yr), were studied. Spine and femur BMD Z-scores < −2 occurred in 46% and 25% of participants, respectively. Greater age, lower weight, hypogonadism, and increased bone turnover were strong independent predictors of low bone mass regardless of thalassemia syndrome. Peak bone mass was suboptimal. Thirty-six percent of patients had a history of fractures, and 34% reported bone pain. BMD was negatively associated with fractures but not with bone pain. Nine percent of participants had uniformly decreased height of several vertebrae by MXA, which was associated with the use of iron chelator deferoxamine before 6 yr of age. In patients with thalassemia, low BMD and fractures occur frequently and independently of the particular syndrome. Peak bone mass is suboptimal. Low BMD is associated with hypogonadism, increased bone turnover, and an increased risk for fractures.

Beta thalassemia major is an inherited disease resulting from reduction or total lack of beta globin chains. Patients with this disease need repeated blood transfusion for survival. This may cause oxidative stress and tissue injury due to iron overload, altered antioxidant enzymes, and other essential trace element levels. The aim of this review is to scrutinize the relationship between oxidative stress and serum trace elements, degree of damage caused by oxidative stress, and the role of antioxidant enzymes in beta thalassemia major patients. The findings indicate that oxidative stress in patients with beta thalassemia major is mainly caused by tissue injury due to over production of free radical by secondary iron overload, alteration in serum trace elements and antioxidant enzymes level. The role of trace elements like selenium, copper, iron, and zinc in beta thalassemia major patients reveals a significant change of these trace elements. Studies published on the status of antioxidant enzymes like catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and glutathione S-transferase in beta thalassemia patients also showed variable results. The administration of selective antioxidants along with essential trace elements and minerals to reduce the extent of oxidative damage and related complications in beta thalassemia major still need further evaluation.

Serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and plasma total calcium, ionized calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus levels were determined during the first 9 days of life in 137 normal term infants, 55 “sick” infants, and 43 hypocalcemic (Ca <7.5 mg/100 ml; Ca++<4.0 mg/100 ml) infants.

In the cord blood, elevated levels of plasma Ca++ and Ca were observed, while levels of serum iPTH were either undetectable or low. In normal newborns during the first 48 h of life there was a decrease in plasma Ca and Ca++, while the serum iPTH level in most samples remained undetectable or low; after 48 h there were parallel increases in plasma Ca and Ca++ and serum iPTH levels. Plasma Mg and P levels increased progressively after birth in normal infants.

In the sick infants, plasma Ca, Ca++ and P levels were significantly lower than in the normal newborns, while no significant differences were found in the plasma Mg levels. The general pattern of serum iPTH levels in the sick infants was similar to that observed in the normal group, though there was a tendency for the increase in serum iPTH to occur earlier and for the iPTH levels to be higher in the sick infants.

In the hypocalcemic infants, plasma Mg levels were consistently lower than in the normal infants after 24 h of age, while no significant differences were found in the plasma P levels. Hyperphosphatemia was uncommon and did not appear to be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of hypocalcemia in most infants. Most of the hypocalcemic infants, including those older than 48 h, had inappropriately low serum iPTH levels.

Evidence obtained from these studies indicates that parathyroid secretion is normally low in the early new born period and impaired parathyroid function, characterized by undetectable or low serum iPTH, is present in most infants with neonatal hypocalcemia. Additional unknown factors appear to contribute to the lowering of plasma Ca in the neonatal period. The net effect of unknown plasma hypocalcemic factor(s) on the one hand and parathyroid activity on the other may account for differences in plasma Ca levels observed between normal, sick, and hypocalcemic infants. Depressed plasma Mg is frequently present in hypocalcemic infants. To what degree the hypomagnesemia reflects parathyroid insufficiency or the converse, to what degree parathyroid insufficiency and hypocalcemia are secondary to hypomagnesemia, is uncertain.

Objective

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of risperidone-induced hyperprolactinemia on trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents.

Methods

Medically healthy 7–17yo males chronically treated, in a naturalistic setting, with risperidone were recruited through child psychiatry outpatient clinics between November 2005 and June 2007. Anthropometric measurements and laboratory testing were conducted. Developmental and treatment history was obtained from the medical record. Volumetric BMD of the ultra-distal radius was measured using peripheral quantitative computerized tomography and areal BMD of the lumbar spine was estimated using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results

Hyperprolactinemia was present in 49% of 83 boys (n=41) treated with risperidone for an average of 2.9 years. Serum testosterone concentration increased with pubertal status but was not affected by hyperprolactinemia. As expected, bone mineral content and BMD increased with sexual maturity. After adjusting for the stage of sexual development, height and BMI Z-scores, serum prolactin was negatively associated with trabecular volumetric BMD at the ultra-distal radius (p<0.03). Controlling for relevant covariates, we also found treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to be associated with lower trabecular BMD at the radius (p=0.03) and BMD Z-score at the lumbar spine (p<0.05). These findings became more marked when the analysis was restricted to non-Hispanic Caucasians. Of 13 documented fractures, only two occurred after risperidone and SSRIs were started and none in patients with hyperprolactinemia.

Conclusions

This is the first study to link risperidone-induced hyperprolactinemia and SSRI treatment to lower BMD in children and adolescents. Future research should evaluate the longitudinal course of this adverse event to determine its temporal stability and whether a higher fracture rate ensues.

Background

An inverse relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD) and bone mineral density (BMD) has been suggested, but prospective evaluation in premenopausal women is lacking.

Methods

Participants of this prospective study were 21 to 45 year-old premenopausal women with MDD (n = 92) and healthy controls (n = 44). We measured BMD at the anteroposterior lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, mid-distal radius, trochanter, and Ward's triangle, as well as serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), ionized calcium, plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), serum cortisol, and 24-hour urinary-free cortisol levels at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured at baseline.

Results

At baseline, BMD tended to be lower in women with MDD compared to controls and BMD remained stable over time in both groups. At baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months intact PTH levels were significantly higher in women with MDD vs. controls. At baseline, ionized calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were significantly lower in women with MDD compared to controls. At baseline and 12 months, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, a marker of bone formation, was significantly higher in women with MDD vs. controls. Plasma ACTH was also higher in women with MDD at baseline and 6 months. Serum osteocalcin, urinary N-telopeptide, serum cortisol, and urinary free cortisol levels were not different between the two groups throughout the study.

Conclusion

Women with MDD tended to have lower BMD than controls over time. Larger and longer studies are necessary to extend these observations with the possibility of prophylactic therapy for osteoporosis.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT 00006180

Repeated blood transfusion in beta thalassemia major patients may lead to peroxidative tissue injury by secondary iron overload. In the present study, 72 children with beta thalassemia major were included. Serum levels of total lipid peroxides, Iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity, Copper, Zinc, Vitamin E, plasma Total Antioxidant Capacity, activity of Erythrocyte Superoxide Dismutase, were measured. The findings were compared with 72 age matched healthy controls irrespective of sex. A significant increase in the levels of lipid peroxide and Iron (p<0.001), whereas, significant decrease in the levels of vitamin-E, Total Antioxidant Capacity and Total Iron Binding Capacity (p<0.001) was observed. Serum Zinc was significantly increased (p<0.001) with significant decrease in the levels of copper (p<0.001). Non Significant increase in the activity of Erythrocyte Superoxide Dismutase (p>0.05) was found in the patients when compared with controls. This suggest that oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant defense mechanism play an important role in pathogenesis of beta thalassemia major.

The basis of allogeneic hemopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation in thalassemia consists in substituting the ineffective thalassemic erythropoiesis with and allogeneic effective one. This cellular replacement therapy is an efficient way to obtain a long lasting, probably permanent, clinical effective correction of the anaemia avoiding transfusion requirement and subsequent complications like iron overload. The first HSC transplant for thalassemia was performed in Seattle on Dec 2, 1981. In the early eighties transplantation procedure was limited to very few centres worldwide. Between 17 December 1981 and 31 January 2003, over 1000 consecutive patients, aged from 1 to 35 years, underwent transplantation in Pesaro. After the pioneering work by the Seattle and Pesaro groups, this therapeutic approach is now widely applied worldwide. Medical therapy of thalassemia is one of the most spectacular successes of the medical practice in the last decades. In recent years advances in knowledge of iron overload patho-physiopathology, improvement and diffusion of diagnostic capability together with the development of new effective and safe oral chelators promise to further increase success of medical therapy. Nevertheless situation is dramatically different in non-industrialized countries were the very large majority of patients live today. Transplantation technologies have improved substantially during the last years and transplantation outcome is likely to be much better today than in the ‘80s. Recent data indicated a probability of overall survival and thalassemia free survival of 97% and 89% for patients with no advanced disease and of 87% and 80% for patients with advanced disease. Thus the central role of HSC in thalassemia has now been fully established. HSC remains the only definitive curative therapy for thalassemia and other hemoblobinopathies. The development of oral chelators has not changed this position. However this has not settled the controversy on how this curative but potentially lethal treatment stands in front of medical therapy for adults and advanced disease patients. In sickle cell disease HSC transplantation currently is reserved almost exclusively for patients with clinical features that indicate a poor outcome or significant sickle-related morbidity.

Background

Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin. This disorder results in excessive destruction of red blood cells, and there is no effective treatment. Patients require lifelong blood transfusion, usually started within 6 to 12 months of birth of patient, which on other hand has its own complications. It is a chronic disease that manifests so early in life that it leads to psychological and social problems for parents . We focused on parents to assess the impact of their child’s disease.

Objective

To determine the psychosocial problems of parents of thalassemic children.

Methods

This cross sectional study was conducted among the parents of thalassemic children attending THALASSEMIA CENTRE, BAHAVAL VICTORIA HOSPITAL (BVH), BAHAWALPUR, PAKISTAN during the year 2011. A self designed questionnaire was used that contained questions regarding psychological and social aspects. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess the depression of parents of thalassemic children.

Results

Of the 100 parents interviewed, the majority were mothers (71%) , with a mean age of 32 ± 8.07 years for both sexes. 29 percent of the parents had moderate to severe depression, 16 percent had sleep disturbances. 56 percent were downgraded by relatives. There was a significant relationship between respondent education and depression (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

A substantial number of parents have psychosocial problems due to the disease of their child. Parent counseling is needed on regular basis.

Purpose of the study

to determine the efficacy, adverse effects and safety of a new Iranian generic product of deferasirox (Osveral®) in Iranian transfusion dependent major thalassemic (TD-MT) patients.

Methods

In 9 main thalassemia treatment centers, all of TD-MT patients (aged ≥2 yrs) with serum ferritin (SF) levels≥1000 ng/ml, or >100 ml/kg of RBC transfusion,who could not tolerate parental iron chelating were recruited regardless of their previous iron chelation therapy. Periodical clinical and laboratory evaluations were conducted for adverse effects (AEs). Primary efficacy end point was Mean of Relative Change of Serum Ferritin (MRC-SF) from the baseline level during one year. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), t test, chi-square or Fisher exact test were used for statistic analysis appropriately (P values <0.05 were considered as statistical significant).

Results

In 407 cases the male/female ratio was 0.98. Mean age was 11.5±7.4 (2–58) years. The mean of initiating dose of Osveral® and mean usage dose during the study was 23.5±4.9 mg/kg and 24.9±4.9 mg/kg respectively. MRC-SF was −11.44% ±38.92 and it showed significant decline in SF (P value<0.001) one hundred and forty eight patients out of 407 patients experienced at least one. AE, the most common of them were transient increase in serum creatinin (97;24.1%) and>5 time increase in transaminases (24;5.89%).The causes of discontinuation of treatment were non-satisfactory treatment ( 24; 5.8%), poor or non-compliance of patients (21;5.1%), and adverse effects (13; 3.1%)

Conclusion

A detailed comparison with similar studies on deferasirox (Exjade®) shows a promising efficacy and safety for its Iranian generic product (Osveral ®).

Acute PTH administration enhances final urine acidification in the rat. HCl was infused during 3 h in rats to determine the parathyroid and renal responses to acute metabolic acidosis. Serum immunoreactive PTH (iPTH) concentration significantly increased and nephrogenous adenosine 3H,5H-cyclic monophosphate tended to increase during HCl loading in intact and adrenalectomized (ADX) rats despite significant increments in plasma ionized calcium. Strong linear relationships existed between serum iPTH concentration and arterial bicarbonate or proton concentration (P less than 0.0001). Serum iPth concentration and NcAMP remained stable in intact time-control rats and decreased in CaCl2-infused, nonacidotic animals. Urinary acidification was markedly reduced in parathyroidectomized (PTX) as compared with intact rats during both basal and acidosis states; human PTH-(1-34) infusion in PTX rats restored in a dose-dependent manner the ability of the kidney to acidify the urine and excrete net acid. Acidosis-induced increase in urinary net acid excretion was observed in intact, PTX, and ADX, but not in ADX-thyroparathyroidectomized rats. We conclude that (a) acute metabolic acidosis enhances circulating PTH activity, and (b) PTH markedly contributes to the renal response against acute metabolic acidosis by enhancing urinary acidification.

Objective: Adiponectin and its receptors are known to be expressed in osteoblasts and may have important functions in normal bone cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin D therapy on serum adiponectin levels in children with vitamin D deficiency rickets (VDDR).

Methods: 21 patients with VDDR were included in the study. Patients were treated with 300,000 U D3 (IM) and calcium lactate (50mg/kg/ day, PO, for 10 days). Anthropometric parameters and serum biochemical markers including calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), intact parathormone (iPTH), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and adiponectin levels were measured before and after one month of therapy.

Results: Weight and length, but not BMI, increased significantly after treatment. Serum 25(OH)D level increased significantly after treatment, while serum adiponectin level decreased (4.21±1.84 vs 52.73±17.63 ng/ml, p<0.000; 150.1±66.14 vs 84.29±9.06 mg/ml, p<0.000, respectively). No significant correlations were found between serum adiponectin and 25(OH)D levels before and after treatment or between delta adiponectin concentrations and delta 25(OH)D levels.

Conclusion: Serum adiponectin levels are increased in patients with VDDR, a finding which is probably related to increased osteoblastic activity.

Conflict of interest:None declared.

Zinc and copper have important effects on T cell mediated immunity and on neutrophil function, but it is not known how the causes or effects, of low serum zinc and high serum copper relate to the clinical picture of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study serum zinc and copper determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry and 30 other clinical, immunological, and laboratory parameters in 60 patients with RA were analysed by stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Joint score index, rheumatoid factor titre, seropositivity, haemoglobin, and C reactive protein (CRP) were among the nine independent variables which together predicted 73% of the serum zinc variation. This suggests that there is an association between the immune-inflammatory rheumatoid process and the serum zinc concentration. CRP alone had only a 3% independent predicting value for serum zinc, however. This suggests that metallothionein mediated sequestration in the liver, induced by interleukin 1, is not an important explanatory factor in a cross sectional study of chronic inflammation. Furthermore, serum zinc did not have any predictive value at all for serum copper concentration. This does not support the hypothesis suggesting that serum zinc deficiency leads to high serum copper by inducing gastrointestinal metallothionein and high caeruloplasmin.

Objective

The thalassemias are among the most common genetic disorders worldwide, occurring more frequently in the Mediterranean region. The aim of this study was to determined frequency of sensory-neural hearing loss in major ß- thalassemias transfusion dependent patients in south of Iran.

Methods

A cross sectional study on 308 cases of major beta-thalassemia patients referring to Thalassemia Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences between 2006–2007 years. The diagnosis of ß- thalassemia major was based on clinical history, complete blood count and hemoglobine electrophoresis. Clinical data such as serum ferritin level, deferoxamine (DFO) dose, mean daily doses of DFO (mg/kg) and audiometric variables was recorded.

Findings

Out of 308 cases, 283 (96.5%) had normal hearing and 10 (3.5%) sensorineural hearing loss. There was no statically significant difference between two groups regarding mean age, weight, age at the first blood transfusion, age at the first DFO infusion.

Conclusion

We found the lowest incidence of sensorineural hearing loss in a large population of patients suffered from major thalassemia who received DFO. We show that DFO is not ototoxic at a low dose. When considering all related literature, as a whole there has been much critical misrepresentation about DFO ototoxicity.

Objective

To determine differences in the rates of growth, endocrine and calcium related abnormalities in the various thalassemia syndromes in North America with current therapy.

Methods

Medical history, physical examinations and blood and urine collections were obtained from patients with all thalassemia syndromes age 6 years and older in the Thalassemia Clinical Research Network.

Results

361 subjects, 49% male, mean age 23.2 years (range 6.1 to 75 years) were studied. Approximately 25% of children and adults, regardless of the thalassemia syndrome, had short stature. Overall growth in children was mildly affected. Final height was close to midparental height (z = -0.73 ± 1.24). Patients with beta thalassemia major (TM) had higher rates of hypogonadism, multiple endocrinopathies, worse hyperglycemia, subclinical hypoparathyroidism and hypercalciuria. Hypogonadism remained the most frequent endocrinopathy and was frequently under-treated. 12.8% of the subjects had 25 vitamin D concentrations less than 27nmol/L and 82% less than 75nmol/L, regardless of the thalassemia syndrome. Adolescents had lower 25 vitamin D levels than children and adults.

Conclusions

Compared to patients with other thalassemia syndromes, those with beta TM suffer from higher rates of multiple endocrinopathies, abnormal calcium metabolism and hypercalciuria. Vitamin D abnormalities are high among adolescents.

Human β-thalassemia major is one of the most prevalent genetic diseases characterized by decrease/absence of β-globin chain production with reduction of erythrocyte number. The main cause of death of treated β-thalassemia major patients with chronic blood transfusion is early cardiac complications that have been attributed to secondary iron overload despite optimal chelation. Herein, we investigated pathophysiological mechanisms of cardiovascular dysfunction in a severe murine model of β-thalassemia from 6 to 15-months of age in the absence of confounding effects related to transfusion. Our longitudinal echocardiography analysis showed that β-thalassemic mice first display a significant increase of cardiac output in response to limited oxygen-carrying erythrocytes that progressed rapidly to left ventricular hypertrophy and structural remodeling. Following this compensated hypertrophy, β-thalassemic mice developed age-dependent deterioration of left ventricular contractility and dysfunction that led toward decompensated heart failure. Consistently, murine β-thalassemic hearts histopathology revealed cardiac remodeling with increased interstitial fibrosis but virtual absence of myocardial iron deposits. Importantly, development of thalassemic cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction independently of iron overload has uncoupled these cardiopathogenic processes. Altogether our study on β-thalassemia major hemoglobinopathy points to two successive phases resulting from severe chronic anemia and from secondarily induced mechanisms as pathophysiologic contributors to thalassemic cardiopathy.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between peak bone mass and genetic and environmental factors. We measured whole-body bone mineral density (BMD), lumbar spine BMD, and radius BMD with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and analyzed eight genetic factors: vitamin D receptor (VDR)-3′, VDR-5′, estrogen receptor (ER), calcitonin receptor (CTR), parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin (OC), apolipoprotein E (ApoE), and fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) allelic polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLPs). We also surveyed menstrual history, food intake, and history of physical activity using questionnaires.

After adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), current smoking status, current Ca intake, alcohol intake, menoxenia, and physical activity, the mean BMD in subjects with the HH/Hh genotype was significantly higher than that of subjects with the hh genotype for whole-body BMD (mean±SD, 1.20±0.10 vs. 1.18±0.09 g/cm2; HH/Hh vs. hh, p=0.04) and at lumbar spine BMD (mean±SD, 1.18±0.14 vs. 1.14±0.12 g/cm2; HH/Hh vs. hh, p=0.02) in OC allelic polymorphism. Furthermore, the results of multiple regression analyses taking the 8 genetic factors plus the 7 environmental factors listed above into account showed that the strongest factor contributing to BMD was BMI at any site (whole-body and lumbar BMD p<0.0001, radius BMD p=0.0029). In addition, OC polymorphism (p=0.0099), physical activity (p=0.0245), menoxenia (p=0.0384), and PTH polymorphism (p=0.0425) were independent determinants for whole-body BMD, and OC polymorphism (p=0.0137) and physical activity (p=0.0421) were independent determinants for lumbar BMD and radius BMD, respectively.

Objectives:

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major cause of post-transfusion hepatitis infection (PTH). Patients with thalassemia major are at high risk of hepatitis C due to the blood transfusion from donors infected by HCV. The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies and risk factors in multitransfused thalassemic patients in Isfahan-Iran to establish more preventive strategies.

Methods:

This study was conducted to assess the patients with beta-thalassemia in Isfahan hospitals during 1996-2011 for HCV infection. A structured interview questionnaire was developed by the trained researcher to collect the demographic and risk factors. Statistical analysis was done by Chi-square test, Mann-Withney and multiple logistic regressions using SPSS software, version 15.

Results:

466 patients with major thalassemia participated in this study. The mean age of patients was 17.46 ± 8.3. Two hundred and seventy (58.3%) and 193 (41.7%) of participants were male and female, respectively. The prevalence of HCV was estimated 8% among thalassemia patients. History of surgery, history of dental procedure, number of units transfused per month, number of transfusion per month and duration of transfusion had significant association with HCV seropositivity in univariate analysis. There were no statistical significant risk factors for HCV seropositivity in multiple logistic regression models.

Conclusions:

Our findings revealed that blood transfusion was the main risk factors for HCV infection among beta-thalassemic patients. Therefore, more blood donor screening programs and effective screening techniques are needed to prevent transmission of HCV infection among beta-thalassemic patients.

Purpose

To determine the influence of menstrual irregularity, oral contraceptive use and other factors on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone size at different skeletal sites in 135 college-aged fit women.

Methods

Menstrual history, oral contraceptive use, exercise history, and nutritional factors including calcium, caffeine, and alcohol intake as well as tobacco use were determined by written survey. Height, weight and fitness levels were measured. Spine and hip BMD were measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), calcaneus BMD by peripheral DXA, and tibial bone mineral content (BMC) and size by peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (pQCT).

Results

The mean age was 18.4 ± 0.8 years. Weight and prior exercise were positively related to BMD at most skeletal sites and to tibial bone size. Milk intake was positively related to calcaneal BMD, tibial BMC and cortical thickness. Fracture history was an important predictor of spine, hip and heel BMD. Women who had ≥ 10 menstrual cycles in the year prior to BMD measurement had higher BMD at all sites as well as a greater tibial mineral content and cortical thickness than women who had oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea (≤ 9 cycles in the prior year; all p < 0.05). Oral Contraceptive (OC) users had significantly lower BMD in the spine (p < 0.02) and calcaneus (p = 0.04), smaller tibial periosteal circumference and lower tibial mineral content (p < 0.02) than non-OC users.

Conclusion

In a population of fit, college-aged women, OC use and oligomenorrhea were associated with reduced BMD and bone size. Weight, as well as prior exercise and milk intake was positively related to bone density and size at some skeletal sites. Understanding these relationships would help improve skeletal health in young women.

Serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (IPTH) was measured by radioimmunoassay in 54 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and in 18 consecutive patients with ectopic hyperparathyroidism due to nonparathyroid cancer without apparent skeletal metastasis. Although serum calcium concentration was higher in the group with ectopic hyperparathyroidism, serum IPTH was lower (rank sum test, P < 0.001) and was undetectable in eight. A second anti-PTH antiserum also differentiated between IPTH in the two groups, although IPTH was undetectable in only 1 of 14 sera. When IPTH values in serial dilutions were plotted, slopes for the two patients with ectopic hyperparathyroidism who had relatively high IPTH were less (P < 0.001) than slopes for standard hyperparathyroid sera. By using differences in either IPTH rank or slope of the dilutional curve of sera, primary hyperparathyroidism could be excluded as a cause of the hypercalcemia in 16 of the 18 patients with ectopic hyperparathyroidism. The data are interpreted as indicating that PTH-like material in the serum of these patients with ectopic hyperparathyroidism is immunologically different from the PTH in the serum of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

We investigated the vitamin D status and the effect of vitamin D supplementation in Korean breast-fed infants. The healthy term newborns were divided into 3 groups; A, formula-fed; B, breast-fed only; S, breast-fed with vitamin D supplementation. We measured serum concentrations of vitamin D (25OHD3), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), alkaline phosphatase (AP), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and bone mineral density (BMD) at 6 and 12 months of age. Using questionnaires, average duration of sun-light exposure and dietary intake of vitamin D, Ca and P were obtained. At 6 and 12 months of age, 25OHD3 was significantly higher in group S than in group B (P<0.001). iPTH was significantly lower in group S than in group B at 6 months (P=0.001), but did not differ at 12 months. Regardless of vitamin D supplementation, BMD was lower in group B and S than in group A (P<0.05). Total intake of vitamin D differed among 3 groups (P<0.001, A>S>B), but total intake of Ca and P were higher in group A than in group B and S (P<0.001). In conclusion, breast-fed infants show lower vitamin D status and bone mineralization than formula-fed infants. Vitamin D supplementation (200 IU/day) in breast-fed infants increases serum 25-OH vitamin D3, but not bone mineral density.