Assessment of serum ferritin levels in thalassemia and non-thalassemia patients presented with anemia

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground: Thalassemia is an autosomal genetic disease leading to anemia and remains one ofthe major health problems in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. Almost 100,000 patientswith major thalassemia need regular transfusion. Human hemoglobin (Hb) is the molecule thatcarries and transports oxygen all through the body. Ferritin is the principal iron storage protein,found in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and to a small extent in the blood.Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess serum ferritin levels in B-thalassemia patients,and to compare it with non-thalassemic anemia and healthy control.Materials and methods: A prospective cross sectional study conducted at Thalassemia Center inIbn Al- Baladi Hospital for Children and Women during the period from1st February to 30th May2014 during their attendance to out-patient clinic. A total .number of 101 patients complaining ofanemia (51 patients with thalassemia, 50 with non-thalassemia) in addition to 50 healthy subjectsconsidered as control. All patients were tested for Serum ferritin levels and all results wereobtained through automated quantitative test for use Vidas machineResults : The mean serum ferritin levels in cases of thalassemia was 9542 + 782 ng/ml whileserum ferritin levels in control sample was 138 +323 ng/ml in male and 28+ 108 ng/ml in female .in patients with non-thalassemia anemia, the levels of serum ferritin was 1+80 ng/ml. Age of allpatients in this study ranged from 3day-9year .the age of thalassemia patients ranged from 1-6year and p-value was(0.23) while the age of patients with non-thalassemia anemia was 1-5 yearand p-value was (0.11).Conclusion: This study confirm that serum ferritin is high in patients wih thalassemia than nonthalassemia.