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Tenuta M, Cangiano B, Rastrelli G, Carlomagno F, Sciarra F, Sansone A, Isidori AM, Gianfrilli D, Krausz C. Iron overload disorders: Growth and gonadal dysfunction in childhood and adolescence. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2024; 71:e30995. [PMID: 38616355 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Hemochromatosis (HC) is characterized by the progressive accumulation of iron in the body, resulting in organ damage. Endocrine complications are particularly common, especially when the condition manifests in childhood or adolescence, when HC can adversely affect linear growth or pubertal development, with significant repercussions on quality of life even into adulthood. Therefore, a timely and accurate diagnosis of these disorders is mandatory, but sometimes complex for hematologists without endocrinological support. This is a narrative review focused on puberty and growth disorders during infancy and adolescence aiming to offer guidance for diagnosis, treatment, and proper follow-up. Additionally, it aims to highlight gaps in the existing literature and emphasizes the importance of collaboration among specialists, which is essential in the era of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Tenuta
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Biagio Cangiano
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Rastrelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Sciarra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Sansone
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea M Isidori
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Csilla Krausz
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Almahmoud R, Hussein A, Khaja FA, Soliman AF, Dewedar H, Shareef ZA, Mathai S. Growth and endocrinopathies among children with β-Thalassemia major treated at Dubai Thalassemia centre. BMC Pediatr 2024; 24:244. [PMID: 38580952 PMCID: PMC10996095 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-04670-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND β-Thalassemia major (BTM) is one of the most common hereditary anemias worldwide. Patients suffer from iron overload that results from repeated blood transfusion This in turn leads to multiple organ damage and endocrinopathies. This study aims to assess the prevalence of growth retardation, hypothyroidism, and diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents with BTM treated at Dubai Thalassemia Centre. METHODS A total of 105 children and adolescents were included in this retrospective observational study. RESULTS 39 children and 66 adolescents' data were analyzed. Females composed 51.3% (n = 20) of children and 53.0% (n = 35) of adolescents. Pretransfusion hemoglobin below 9 gm/dl was observed in 10.8% (n = 4) and 10.6% (n = 7) in children and adolescents, respectively. The mean age of menarche was 13.5 years. Among all study participants, 22.6% (n = 14) had normal height velocity whereas 37.1% (n = 23) had reduced height velocity in one year and 40.3% (n = 25) had reduced height velocity in two consecutive years. The proportion of children and adolescents showing reduced height velocity was significantly higher in females compared to the males (90.6% versus 63.3%, respectively, Chi-square = 6.597, p-value = 0.010). Although none of the study participants had diabetes mellitus, 26.1% (n = 12/46) had pre-diabetes. Elevated TSH was observed in 14.7% (n = 5) children and 8.1% (n = 5) adolescents while low FT4 was reported in one child and one adolescent. CONCLUSION Of all endocrinopathies seen among children and adolescents with BTM, growth delay remains the main concern for this group of patients. Effective treatment is key to further reducing endocrinopathies. Although the sample size is limited, we postulate that the low percentage of endocrinopathies among children with BTM treated at Dubai thalassemia center and the low level of pretransfusion anemia reflect the effective transfusion and chelation at the center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabah Almahmoud
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Amal Hussein
- Department of Family & Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatheya Al Khaja
- Dubai Thalassemia Centre, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Hany Dewedar
- Dubai Thalassemia Centre, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Zainab Al Shareef
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sarah Mathai
- Department of Pediatrics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
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3
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Rastegar Panah M, Jarvi K, Lo K, El-Sohemy A. Biomarkers of Iron Are Associated with Anterior-Pituitary-Produced Reproductive Hormones in Men with Infertility. Nutrients 2024; 16:290. [PMID: 38257183 PMCID: PMC10819645 DOI: 10.3390/nu16020290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Approximately 16% of North American couples are affected by infertility, with 30% of cases being attributable to male factor infertility. The regulation of reproductive hormones via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is important for spermatogenesis and subsequently male fertility. Maintaining iron homeostasis is critical to normal reproductive physiological function. This cross-sectional study's objective was to determine the association between serum biomarkers of iron and reproductive hormones. Men experiencing infertility (n = 303) were recruited from Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto. Serum was analyzed for iron and ferritin as biomarkers of iron status and reproductive hormones (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, estradiol, and prolactin), which were the primary outcome. Associations were determined using non-parametric Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, linear regressions, and logistic regressions. A significant independent monotonic inverse relationship between serum iron and prolactin (p = 0.0002) was found. In linear regression analyses, iron was inversely associated with luteinizing hormone (unadjusted p = 0.03, adjusted p = 0.03) and prolactin (unadjusted p = 0.001 and adjusted p = 0.003). Serum ferritin was inversely associated with both gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (adjusted p = 0.03), and luteinizing hormone (adjusted p = 0.02). These findings suggest that biomarkers of iron are associated with pituitary-produced reproductive hormones, which play a role in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal signaling pathway involved in spermatogenesis, testicular testosterone production, and male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matineh Rastegar Panah
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 5th Floor, Room 5326A, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada;
| | - Keith Jarvi
- Murray Koffler Urologic Wellness Centre, Department of Urology, Mount Sinai Hospital, 60 Murray Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 3L, Canada
| | - Kirk Lo
- Murray Koffler Urologic Wellness Centre, Department of Urology, Mount Sinai Hospital, 60 Murray Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 3L, Canada
| | - Ahmed El-Sohemy
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 5th Floor, Room 5326A, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada;
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Meloni A, Pistoia L, Ricchi P, Positano V, Longo F, Borsellino Z, Cecinati V, Messina G, Corigliano E, Rosso R, Righi R, Peritore G, Renne S, Vallone A, Cademartiri F. Pancreatic T2* Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Prediction of Cardiac Arrhythmias in Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6015. [PMID: 37762955 PMCID: PMC10531669 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12186015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We assessed the value of pancreatic T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for predicting cardiac events from a large prospective database of transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients. We considered 813 TDT patients (36.47 ± 10.71 years, 54.6% females) enrolled in the Extension-Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia Network. MRI was used to measure hepatic, pancreatic, and cardiac iron overload (IO), to assess biventricular function and atrial dimensions, and to detect replacement myocardial fibrosis. The mean follow-up was 50.51 ± 19.75 months. Cardiac complications were recorded in 21 (2.6%) patients: one with heart failure (HF) and 20 with arrhythmias. The single patient who developed HF had, at the baseline MRI, a reduced pancreas T2*. Out of the 20 recorded arrhythmias, 17 were supraventricular. Pancreatic T2* values were a significant predictor of future arrhythmia-related events (hazard ratio = 0.89; p = 0.015). Pancreas T2* remained significantly associated with future arrhythmias after adjusting for any other univariate predictor (age and male sex, diabetes, history of previous arrhythmias, or left atrial area index). According to the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis for arrhythmias, a pancreas T2* < 6.73 ms was the optimal cut-off value. In TDT, pancreatic iron levels had significant prognostic power for arrhythmias. Regular monitoring and the development of targeted interventions to manage pancreatic IO may help improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Meloni
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (L.P.); (V.P.)
- Unità Operativa Complessa Bioingegneria, Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Pistoia
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (L.P.); (V.P.)
- Unità Operativa Semplice a Valenza Dipartimentale Ricerca Clinica, Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Ricchi
- Unità Operativa Semplice Dipartimentale Malattie Rare del Globulo Rosso, Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale “Antonio Cardarelli”, 80131 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Vincenzo Positano
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (L.P.); (V.P.)
- Unità Operativa Complessa Bioingegneria, Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Filomena Longo
- Unità Operativa Day Hospital della Talassemia e delle Emoglobinopatie, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria “S. Anna”, 44124 Cona, Italy;
| | - Zelia Borsellino
- Unità Operativa Complessa Ematologia con Talassemia, ARNAS Civico “Benfratelli-Di Cristina”, 90134 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Valerio Cecinati
- Struttura Semplice di Microcitemia, Ospedale “Santissima Annunziata”, 74123 Taranto, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Messina
- Centro Microcitemie, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano “Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli”, 89100 Reggio Calabria, Italy;
| | - Elisabetta Corigliano
- Ematologia Microcitemia, Ospedale San Giovanni di Dio—ASP Crotone, 88900 Crotone, Italy;
| | - Rosamaria Rosso
- Unità Operativa Talassemie ed Emoglobinopatie, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico “Vittorio Emanuele”, 95100 Catania, Italy;
| | - Riccardo Righi
- Diagnostica per Immagini e Radiologia Interventistica, Ospedale del Delta, 44023 Lagosanto, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Peritore
- Unità Operativa Complessa di Radiologia, ARNAS Civico “Benfratelli-Di Cristina”, 90127 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Stefania Renne
- Struttura Complessa di Cardioradiologia-UTIC, Presidio Ospedaliero “Giovanni Paolo II”, 88046 Lamezia Terme, Italy;
| | - Antonino Vallone
- Reparto di Radiologia, Azienda Ospedaliera “Garibaldi” Presidio Ospedaliero Nesima, 95126 Catania, Italy;
| | - Filippo Cademartiri
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (L.P.); (V.P.)
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Meloni A, Pistoia L, Lupi A, Righi R, Vallone A, Missere M, Renne S, Fina P, Riva A, Gamberini MR, Cecinati V, Sorrentino F, Rosso R, Messina G, Ricchi P, Positano V, Mavrogeni S, Quaia E, Cademartiri F, Pepe A. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Iron Overload Assessment by MRI in Patients with Hemoglobinopathies: The E-MIOT Network Experience. Tomography 2023; 9:1711-1722. [PMID: 37736989 PMCID: PMC10514849 DOI: 10.3390/tomography9050136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The E-MIOT (Extension-Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia) project is an Italian Network assuring high-quality quantification of tissue iron overload by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on E-MIOT services. METHODS The activity of the E-MIOT Network MRI centers in the year 2020 was compared with that of 2019. A survey evaluated whether the availability of MRI slots for patients with hemoglobinopathies was reduced and why. RESULTS The total number of MRI scans was 656 in 2019 and 350 in 2020, with an overall decline of 46.4% (first MRI: 71.7%, follow-up MRI: 36.9%), a marked decline (86.9%) in the period March-June 2020, and a reduction in the gap between the two years in the period July-September. A new drop (41.4%) was recorded in the period October-December for two centers, due to the general reduction in the total amount of MRIs/day for sanitization procedures. In some centers, patients refused MRI scans for fear of getting COVID. Drops in the MRI services >80% were found for patients coming from a region without an active MRI site. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong negative impact on MRI multi-organ iron quantification, with a worsening in the management of patients with hemoglobinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Meloni
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (L.P.); (V.P.); (F.C.)
- Unità Operativa Complessa Bioingegneria, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Pistoia
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (L.P.); (V.P.); (F.C.)
| | - Amalia Lupi
- Istituto di Radiologia, Dipartimento di Medicina, Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.L.); (E.Q.)
| | - Riccardo Righi
- Diagnostica per Immagini e Radiologia Interventistica, Ospedale del Delta, 44023 Lagosanto, Italy;
| | - Antonino Vallone
- Reparto di Radiologia, Azienda Ospedaliera “Garibaldi” Presidio Ospedaliero Nesima, 95126 Catania, Italy;
| | - Massimiliano Missere
- Unità Operativa Complessa Radiodiagnostica, Gemelli Molise SpA, Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura “Giovanni Paolo II”, 86100 Campobasso, Italy;
| | - Stefania Renne
- Struttura Complessa di Cardioradiologia, Presidio Ospedaliero “Giovanni Paolo II”, 88046 Lamezia Terme, Italy;
| | - Priscilla Fina
- Unità Operativa Complessa Diagnostica per Immagini, Ospedale “Sandro Pertini”, 00157 Roma, Italy;
| | - Ada Riva
- Struttura Complessa di Radiologia, Ospedale “SS. Annunziata” ASL Taranto, 74121 Taranto, Italy;
| | - Maria Rita Gamberini
- Unità Operativa di Day Hospital della Talassemia e delle Emoglobinopatie, Dipartimento della Riproduzione e dell’Accrescimento, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria “S. Anna”, 44124 Cona, Italy;
| | - Valerio Cecinati
- Struttura Semplice di Microcitemia, Ospedale “SS. Annunziata” ASL Taranto, 74100 Taranto, Italy;
| | - Francesco Sorrentino
- Unità Operativa Semplice Dipartimentale Day Hospital Talassemici, Ospedale “Sant’Eugenio”, 00143 Roma, Italy;
| | - Rosamaria Rosso
- Unità Operativa Talassemie ed Emoglobinopatie, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico “Vittorio Emanuele”, 95100 Catania, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Messina
- Centro Microcitemie, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano “Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli”, 89100 Reggio Calabria, Italy;
| | - Paolo Ricchi
- Unità Operativa Semplice Dipartimentale Malattie Rare del Globulo Rosso, Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale “A. Cardarelli”, 80131 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Vincenzo Positano
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (L.P.); (V.P.); (F.C.)
- Unità Operativa Complessa Bioingegneria, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Emilio Quaia
- Istituto di Radiologia, Dipartimento di Medicina, Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.L.); (E.Q.)
| | - Filippo Cademartiri
- Department of Radiology, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.M.); (L.P.); (V.P.); (F.C.)
| | - Alessia Pepe
- Istituto di Radiologia, Dipartimento di Medicina, Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.L.); (E.Q.)
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Elalfy MS, Hamdy M, Adly A, Ebeid FSE, Temin NT, Rozova A, Lee D, Fradette C, Tricta F. Efficacy and safety of early-start deferiprone in infants and young children with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia: Evidence for iron shuttling to transferrin in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial (START). Am J Hematol 2023; 98:1415-1424. [PMID: 37401738 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.27010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Children with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) require regular blood transfusions that, without iron-chelation therapy, lead to iron-overload toxicities. Current practice delays chelation therapy (late-start) until reaching iron overload (serum ferritin ≥1000 μg/L) to minimize risks of iron-depletion. Deferiprone's distinct pharmacological properties, including iron-shuttling to transferrin, may reduce risks of iron depletion during mild-to-moderate iron loads and iron overload/toxicity in children with TDT. The early-start deferiprone (START) study evaluated the efficacy/safety of early-start deferiprone in infants/young children with TDT. Sixty-four infants/children recently diagnosed with beta-thalassemia and serum ferritin (SF) between 200 and 600 μg/L were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive deferiprone or placebo for 12 months or until reaching SF-threshold (≥1000 μg/L at two consecutive visits). Deferiprone was initiated at 25 mg/kg/day and increased to 50 mg/kg/day; some recipients' dosages increased to 75 mg/kg/day based on iron levels. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients ≥SF-threshold by month 12. Monthly transferrin saturation (TSAT) assessment evaluated iron-shuttling. At baseline, there was no significant difference in mean age (deferiprone: 3.03 years, placebo: 2.63 years), SF (deferiprone: 513.8 μg/L, placebo: 451.7 μg/L), or TSAT (deferiprone: 47.98%, placebo: 43.43%) between groups. At month 12, there was no significant difference in growth or adverse event (AE) rates between groups. No deferiprone-treated patients were iron-depleted. At month 12, 66% of patients receiving deferiprone remained below SF threshold versus 39% of placebo (p = .045). Deferiprone-treated patients showed higher TSAT levels and reached ≥60% TSAT threshold faster. Early-start deferiprone was well-tolerated, not associated with iron depletion, and efficacious in reducing iron overload in infants/children with TDT. TSAT results provide the first clinical evidence of deferiprone shuttling iron to transferrin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen S Elalfy
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Ain Shams University, Children's Hospital, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mona Hamdy
- Research Center, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Amira Adly
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Ain Shams University, Children's Hospital, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Fatma S E Ebeid
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Ain Shams University, Children's Hospital, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Anna Rozova
- Chiesi Canada Corporation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Lee
- Chiesi Canada Corporation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Meacham LR, George S, Veludhandi A, Pruett MC, Haight AE, Arnold SD, Elchuri S, Stenger E, Krishnamurti L. Female Reproductive Health Outcomes after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Sickle Cell Disease: Is Reduced Intensity Better Than Myeloablative Conditioning? Transplant Cell Ther 2023; 29:531.e1-531.e4. [PMID: 37169288 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtct.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Curative therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD) through hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is associated with a high level of risk for treatment-related gonadal dysfunction and future infertility. Both the myeloablative conditioning (MAC) and reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens used for SCD HCT are considered to carry a high risk for ovarian damage. Cyclophosphamide equivalent doses (CEDs) are thought to correlate with the degree of gonadal damage in pediatric oncology patients. We aimed to evaluate ovarian outcomes previously reported from our center, characterize the conditioning regimens as MAC or RIC, and calculate the CED for each regimen. The ovarian outcomes diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), as determined by an anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) below the normal limits for age and assay or <5%, and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), defined as a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level >40 mIU/ML, are presented by conditioning regimen from 3 clinical studies from our center (2 published and 1 presented as an abstract in 2022). The studies were not mutually exclusive of patients. CEDs were calculated for each regimen. The CED ranged from 3388 to 9705 mg/m2 for MAC regimens and from 5600 to 18,750 mg/m2 for RIC regimens. DOR was observed in all regimens; however, in one study 2 patients had normal AMH levels after a fludarabine/melphalan regimen, and 1 patient had a normal AMH level after a fludarabine/melphalan/thiotepa regimen. Rates of POI were more variable and ranged from 40% to 100% after MAC regimens and from 0 to 100% after RIC regimens. Female patients with SCD who undergo HCT have very high rates of DOR after both MAC HCT and RIC HCT. Two of the 3 RIC regimens evaluated had higher CEDs than were seen in any of the MAC regimens evaluated. Rates of POI were more variable but may increase with time from transplantation. All SCD patients need to be counseled about the risk of infertility and provided information about fertility preservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian R Meacham
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Pediatric Endocrinology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Sobenna George
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Anirudh Veludhandi
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Megan C Pruett
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ann E Haight
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Staci D Arnold
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Swati Elchuri
- Ventura County Healthcare Agency, Ventura, California
| | - Elizabeth Stenger
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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8
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Pinto VM, De Franceschi L, Gianesin B, Gigante A, Graziadei G, Lombardini L, Palazzi G, Quota A, Russo R, Sainati L, Venturelli D, Forni GL, Origa R. Management of the Sickle Cell Trait: An Opinion by Expert Panel Members. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12103441. [PMID: 37240547 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12103441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of individuals with the sickle cell trait exceeds 300 million worldwide, making sickle cell disease one of the most common monogenetic diseases globally. Because of the high frequency of sickle cell disease, reproductive counseling is of crucial importance. In addition, unlike other carrier states, Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) seems to be a risk factor for several clinical complications, such as extreme exertional injury, chronic kidney disease, and complications during pregnancy and surgery. This expert panel believes that increasing knowledge about these clinical manifestations and their prevention and management can be a useful tool for all healthcare providers involved in this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Maria Pinto
- Centro della Microcitemia, Anemie Congenite e Dismetabolismo del Ferro, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, 16128 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Barbara Gianesin
- Centro della Microcitemia, Anemie Congenite e Dismetabolismo del Ferro, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, 16128 Genova, Italy
- ForAnemia Foundation, 16124 Genova, Italy
| | - Antonia Gigante
- ForAnemia Foundation, 16124 Genova, Italy
- Società Italiana Talassemie ed Emoglobinopatie (SITE), 09100 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giovanna Graziadei
- Centro Malattie Rare Internistiche, Medicina Generale, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Letizia Lombardini
- Centro Nazionale Trapianti, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Giovanni Palazzi
- U.O. Oncoematologia Pediatrica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | | | - Rodolfo Russo
- Clinica Nefrologica, Dialisi e Trapianto, Dipartimento di Medicina Integrata con il Territorio, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Laura Sainati
- Oncoematologia Pediatrica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Donatella Venturelli
- Servizio Immunotrasfusionale, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Forni
- Centro della Microcitemia, Anemie Congenite e Dismetabolismo del Ferro, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, 16128 Genova, Italy
| | - Raffaella Origa
- Talassemia, Ospedale Pediatrico Microcitemico 'A.Cao', ASL8, Università di Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
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9
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Sayani FA, Singer ST, Carlberg KT, Vichinsky EP. Fertility and Pregnancy in Women with Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2023; 37:393-411. [PMID: 36907611 DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2022.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Because women with transfusion-dependent thalassemia are seeking pregnancy, ensuring the best outcomes for both mother and baby require concerted and collaborative efforts between the hematologist, obstetrician, cardiologist, hepatologist, and genetic counselor among others. Proactive counseling, early fertility evaluation, optimal management of iron overload and organ function, and application of advances in reproductive technology and prenatal screening are important in ensuring a healthy outcome. Many unanswered questions remain requiring further study, including fertility preservation, non-invasive prenatal diagnosis, chelation therapy during pregnancy, and indications and duration of anticoagulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzana A Sayani
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Sylvia T Singer
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, 747 52nd Street, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
| | - Katie T Carlberg
- Division of Cancer and Blood Disorders, University of Washington, Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Elliott P Vichinsky
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, 747 52nd Street, Oakland, CA 94609, USA
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10
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Vali SW, Lindahl PA. Low-temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy of organs from 57Fe-enriched HFE (-/-) hemochromatosis mice: an iron-dependent threshold for generating hemosiderin. J Biol Inorg Chem 2023; 28:173-185. [PMID: 36512071 PMCID: PMC9981716 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-022-01975-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary hemochromatosis is an iron-overload disease most often arising from a mutation in the Homeostatic Fe regulator (HFE) gene. HFE organs become overloaded with iron which causes damage. Iron-overload is commonly detected by NMR imaging, but the spectroscopic technique is insensitive to diamagnetic iron. Here, we used Mössbauer spectroscopy to examine the iron content of liver, spleen, kidney, heart, and brain of 57Fe-enriched HFE(-/-) mice of ages 3-52 wk. Overall, the iron contents of all investigated HFE organs were similar to the same healthy organ but from an older mouse. Livers and spleens were majorly overloaded, followed by kidneys. Excess iron was generally present as ferritin. Iron-sulfur clusters and low-spin FeII hemes (combined into the central quadrupole doublet) and nonheme high-spin FeII species were also observed. Spectra of young and middle-aged HFE kidneys were dominated by the central quadrupole doublet and were largely devoid of ferritin. Collecting and comparing spectra at 5 and 60 K allowed the presence of hemosiderin, a decomposition product of ferritin, to be quantified, and it also allowed the diamagnetic central doublet to be distinguished from ferritin. Hemosiderin was observed in spleens and livers from HFE mice, and in spleens from controls, but only when iron concentrations exceeded 2-3 mM. Even in those cases, hemosiderin represented only 10-20% of the iron in the sample. NMR imaging can identify iron-overload under non-invasive room-temperature conditions, but Mössbauer spectroscopy of 57Fe-enriched mice can detect all forms of iron and perhaps allow the process of iron-overloading to be probed in greater detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaik Waseem Vali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Paul A Lindahl
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3255, USA.
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11
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Incorporating gonadal health counseling into pediatric care of sickle cell patients. HEMATOLOGY. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY. EDUCATION PROGRAM 2022; 2022:442-449. [PMID: 36485118 PMCID: PMC9820063 DOI: 10.1182/hematology.2022000382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Discussions regarding gonadal function and possible disease or treatment-related ovarian or testicular dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, and possible future infertility can be challenging in the sickle cell disease (SCD) pediatric care setting. A construct that stratifies topics into those that are time sensitive and those that require reproductive care expertise vs address gonadal health as a part of normal SCD care may be helpful. Pediatric health care discussions of gonadal function/dysfunction for patients with SCD can include (1) time-sensitive fertility consults preceding the start of gonadotoxic therapy and (2) targeted discussions at key time points during normally scheduled hematology clinic visits. The former conversations are best led by individuals with expertise in the risk for treatment-related infertility and fertility preservation. The latter discussions can be incorporated into targeted regularly scheduled visits with hematologists. These topics can be addressed as a part of planned education in pediatric care for adolescents and incorporated into transition plans as young adults transfer care to adult providers. Although the topics of puberty and gonadal health can be uncomfortable and many complex interdisciplinary and ethical issues arise in this process, these discussions can be aided by the collaterals and teaching handouts presented in this article.
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12
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Mathiesen S, Andrés-Jensen L, Nielsen MM, Sørensen K, Ifversen M, Jahnukainen K, Juul A, Müller K. Male gonadal function after pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a systematic review. Transplant Cell Ther 2022; 28:503.e1-503.e15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtct.2022.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Gohal GA, Gosadi IM, Cittana Iqbal BA, Ghazwani YH, Daghriri AM, Shugairi AA, Daghriri KA, Zurayyir AJ, Nemri AA, Abdulhaq MA. Utilization of Hydroxyurea Among Patients Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Patient Prefer Adherence 2022; 16:3059-3067. [PMID: 36387052 PMCID: PMC9653045 DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s390568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The early diagnosis of sickle cell disease (SCD) patients and getting appropriate treatment are crucial for improving clinical outcomes. This study aims to assess the use of hydroxyurea among patients diagnosed with SCD and assess factors influencing the attitude toward the medication and the reasons for discontinuation. METHODS This study was a cross-sectional investigation targeting parents or caregivers of children diagnosed with SCD in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from tertiary healthcare hospitals via a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of sections measuring the participants' demographics, the number of children diagnosed with SCD, the use of hydroxyurea, and the parents' beliefs about hydroxyurea. RESULTS There were 301 parents or caregivers recruited. The majority of the recruited participants were mothers (54.5%), and nearly half of the sample were older than 35. More than 80% of the participants declare that one or more of their children are receiving hydroxyurea to manage SCD. The majority of participants declared that using hydroxyurea reduced the frequency of body pain episodes, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions. Participants' major concern about the use of hydroxyurea was related to the fear of weakening their immunity (29.5%) and hydroxyurea's perceived effect on fertility (16.8%). Furthermore, 52 (18%) of the participants declared that the use of hydroxyurea to manage the disease was stopped; the main reasons for stopping was their belief that hydroxyurea had side effects and its impact on weakening of their immune system. CONCLUSION The findings indicate the importance of increasing the role of clinicians in educating patients and caregivers about the use of hydroxyurea and its benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gassem A Gohal
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim M Gosadi
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: Ibrahim M Gosadi, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, P.O. Box: 2349, Jazan, 82621, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 562137711, Email
| | | | - Yahya H Ghazwani
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Prince Mohammed Bin Nasser Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal M Daghriri
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Prince Mohammed Bin Nasser Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad A Shugairi
- Department of Adult Hematology and Oncology, Prince Mohammed Bin Nasser Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled A Daghriri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Atyaf J Zurayyir
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulrhman A Nemri
- Department of General Surgery, Security Force Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Anterior Pituitary Volume in Patients with Transfusion Dependent Anemias: Volumetric Approaches and Relation to Pituitary MRI‑R2. Clin Neuroradiol 2021; 32:259-267. [PMID: 34709410 PMCID: PMC8894216 DOI: 10.1007/s00062-021-01111-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Anterior pituitary iron overload and volume shrinkage is common in patients with transfusion-dependent anemia and associated with growth retardation and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. We investigated the accuracy of different MRI-based pituitary volumetric approaches and the relationship between pituitary volume and MRI-R2, particularly with respect to growth and hypogonadism. METHODS In 43 patients with transfusion-dependent anemia (12-38 years) and 32 healthy controls (12-72 years), anterior pituitary volume was measured by a sagittal T1 GRE 3D sequence at 1.5T and analyzed by 3D semi-automated threshold volumetry (3D-volumetry). This reference method was compared with planimetric 2D-volumetry, approximate volume calculations, and pituitary height. Using a multiple SE sequence, pituitary iron as MRI-R2 was assessed by fitting proton signal intensities to echo times. Growth and hypogonadism were obtained from height percentile tables and patients' medical charts. From body surface area and age adjusted anterior pituitary volumes of controls, Z‑scores were calculated for all subjects. Separation of controls and patients with respect to Z and pituitary R2 was performed by bivariate linear discriminant analysis. RESULTS Tuned 2D volumes showed highest agreement with reference 3D-volumes (bias -4.8%; 95% CI:-8.8%|-0.7%). A linear discriminant equation of Z = -17.8 + 1.45 · R2 revealed optimum threshold sensitivity and specificity of 65% and 100% for discrimination of patients from controls, respectively. Of correctly classified patients 71% and 75% showed hypogonadism and growth retardation, respectively. CONCLUSION Accurate assessment of anterior pituitary size requires 3D or precise 2D volumetry, with shorter analysis time for the latter. Anterior pituitary volume Z‑scores and R2 allow for the identification of patients at risk of pituitary dysfunction.
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15
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Adel RM, Lotfy RA, Darwish AS, Amer AS. Destructive effect of iron overload in brain tissue of albino rats: Ameliorative role of silver immobilized organo-modified casein nanocomposite as co-treating agent with Deferasirox. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2021; 67:126794. [PMID: 34052583 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2021.126794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Iron (Fe) is one of the most essential trace elements in the body that play crucial role in organisms' survival, however, excess deposition of it puts patients at higher risk of iron overload and tissue injury through production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), elevation of oxidative stress, development of endocrine disorders among which hypogonadism, and increased incidence of cells damage in vital organs. As deferasirox (DFX) is an approved Fe chelator drug, its inability to cross blood brain barrier (BBB) remains a definite obstacle against its use as Fe chelator in the brain. Lately, attention to nanoparticles usage in researches has been widely grown since their role in improving drug therapeutic effects and scavenging free radicals make them good candidates as chelating and antioxidant agents. AIMS Herein, after induction of iron overload, organo-modified casein immobilized silver nanocomposite (Ag@Tr-CA) was designed and explored as combined therapy with DFX drug to develop its penetrating efficiency toward BBB and its Fe chelating affinity. Moreover, to distinguish the advanced antioxidant character as well as the beneficial impact of it on lowering brain's oxidative stress. Meanwhile, its capability in regulating serum pituitary hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), and testosterone (T), ameliorating DNA damage, and improving brain's histopathological alterations was also assessed. METHODS The physicochemical characteristics of Ag@Tr-CA was carried out using X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) analyses. Effect of iron overload and subsequent treatment with DFX + Ag@Tr-CA on brain of adult male albino rats were evaluated using colorimetric methods to determine brain Fe concentration and brain oxidative stress biomarkers. Assessment of serum Fe indices and serum pituitary hormones (FSH, LH, PRL) and T were estimated by ELISA technique. Determination of DNA damage in cerebral cortex cells was accomplished using the alkaline version of comet assay, while detection of brain's histopathological alterations was performed by examination of H&E sections under light microscope. RESULTS The physicochemical characteristics of Ag@Tr-CA showing the proficiency of Ag nanoparticles (∼35 nm) in creating highly-ordered negatively charged micro-sized casein particles (∼450 μm). After induction of iron overload, DFX + Ag@Tr-CA combination efficiently down brain Fe concentration, brain oxidative stress markers, and DNA damage in cerebral cortex cells linked with improvements in brain histopathological alterations. Comparing DFX therapeutic action alone to its combination to whether Ag@Tr-CA or Tr-CA (organo-modified cross-linked casein nanoparticles) as co-treating agents revealed no significant effect on serum Fe indices, FSH, LH, PRL, and T against iron overload disease. CONCLUSION The present results showed that combination of Ag@Tr-CA nanocomposite with DFX makes it a promising co-treating agent against iron overload through improving the physiological, molecular, and histological structure of the brain in iron overloaded rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana M Adel
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, 11757, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Rania A Lotfy
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, 11757, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Atef S Darwish
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, 11566, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Amany S Amer
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, 11757, Cairo, Egypt.
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16
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Bhalla D, Jana M. MRI in Pituitary Iron Overload: Current Perspective and Future Directions. Indian J Pediatr 2021; 88:641-642. [PMID: 34021865 DOI: 10.1007/s12098-021-03812-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Deeksha Bhalla
- Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Manisha Jana
- Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
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17
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Pituitary Volume and Iron Overload Evaluation by 3T MRI in Thalassemia. Indian J Pediatr 2021; 88:656-662. [PMID: 33675027 DOI: 10.1007/s12098-020-03629-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate pituitary volume and iron overload in beta thalassemia major, with the objective of assessing the reliability of this method in predicting hypogonadism. METHODS 3T MRI was used to measure pituitary R2 and T2* in 57 beta thalassemia major patients and 30 controls. Anterior pituitary volume was evaluated by MRI planimetry. Cardiac, hepatic, and pancreatic iron overload were also assessed using MRI T2*. Mean serum ferritin was estimated by sandwich immuno-assay. Short stature was defined as height < 3 rd percentile for age, and clinical hypogonadism defined as absence of secondary sexual characteristics at ages ≥ 13 y for females and ≥ 14 y for males. RESULTS Short stature was present in 32 patients (56.1%). Of the 47 patients in the pubertal age group, 11(23.4%) had hypogonadism. Serum ferritin correlated positively with pituitary R2 (p = 0.004) and negatively with anterior pituitary volume (p = 0.006), whereas pituitary R2 correlated negatively with cardiac T2* (p = 0.001). Patients with hypogonadism had lower pituitary R2 (p = 0.186), T2* (p = 0.048), and anterior pituitary volumes (p = 0.012) compared to those with normal sexual maturity. Regardless of stature, no significant difference was observed between pituitary R2 (p = 0.267) and T2* (p = 0.451). Mean pituitary R2 in patients (78.99 Hz) was higher than in controls (20.8 Hz) (p = 0.0001). Anterior pituitary volume was lower in patients (264.83 mm3) than in controls (380.87 mm3) (p = 0.0001). A threshold value of 22.85 Hz for pituitary R2 gave a sensitivity of 84.2% and a specificity of 73.3% in distinguishing pituitary iron content of patients from controls, with an area of 0.864 under the ROC curve. CONCLUSIONS 3T MRI is a reliable method to detect pituitary iron overload and predict risk of hypogonadism in beta Thalassemia.
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Singer ST, Fischer R, Allen I, Lal A, Vichinsky E, Yuan Q, Wang ZJ. Pituitary iron and factors predictive of fertility status in transfusion dependent thalassemia. Haematologica 2021; 106:1740-1744. [PMID: 33121232 PMCID: PMC8168491 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2020.252726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia T Singer
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Oakland, CA.
| | | | | | - Ashutosh Lal
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Oakland, CA
| | - Elliott Vichinsky
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Oakland, CA
| | - Qing Yuan
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
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Zan G, Li L, Cheng H, Huang L, Huang S, Luo X, Xiao L, Liu C, Zhang H, Mo Z, Yang X. Mediated relationships between multiple metals exposure and fasting blood glucose by reproductive hormones in Chinese men. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 278:116791. [PMID: 33684679 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported metals exposure contribute to the change of fasting blood glucose (FBG) level. However, the roles of reproductive hormones in their associations have not been fully elucidated. The aim of the study is to investigate the associations of multiple serum metals with reproductive hormones, and to further explore potential roles of reproductive hormones in relationships between metals exposure and FBG level. A total of 1911 Chinese Han men were analyzed by a cross-sectional study. We measured serum levels of 22 metals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). FBG, total testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels were determined. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression models were conducted to select important metals, and restricted cubic spline models were then used to estimate dose-response relationships between selected metals and reproductive hormones. We also conducted mediation analyses to evaluate whether reproductive hormones played mediating roles in the associations between metals and FBG. We found significant inverse dose-dependent trends of copper, tin and zinc with E2; zinc with SHBG; copper and nickel with TT, while significant positive dose-dependent trend of iron with E2, respectively. Moreover, approximately inverted U-shaped associations existed between lead and SHBG, iron and TT. In addition, E2, SHBG and TT were negatively associated with FBG level. In mediation analyses, the association of copper with FBG was mediated by E2 and TT, with a mediation ratio of 10.4% and 22.1%, respectively. Furthermore, E2 and SHBG mediated the relationship of zinc with FBG, with a mediation ratio of 7.8% and 14.5%, respectively. E2 mediated 11.5% of positive relationship between tin with FBG. Our study suggested that the associations of metals exposure with FBG may be mediated by reproductive hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaohui Zan
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Longman Li
- Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Hong Cheng
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Lulu Huang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Sifang Huang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Xiaoyu Luo
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Lili Xiao
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Chaoqun Liu
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Haiying Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Zengnan Mo
- Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Xiaobo Yang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Highly Prevalent Diseases, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China.
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Selecting β-thalassemia Patients for Gene Therapy: A Decision-making Algorithm. Hemasphere 2021; 5:e555. [PMID: 33969274 PMCID: PMC8096466 DOI: 10.1097/hs9.0000000000000555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
This expert opinion originally developed by a panel of the Italian Society of Thalassemias and Hemoglobinopathies (SITE), reviewed and adopted by the European Hematology Association (EHA) through the EHA Scientific Working Group on Red Cells and Iron, has been developed as priority decision-making algorithm on evidence and consensus with the aim to identify which patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia (TDT) could benefit from a gene therapy (GT) approach. Even if the wide utilized and high successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation provides the possibility to cure several patients a new scenario has been opened by GT. Therefore, it is important to establish the patients setting for whom it is priority indicated, particularly in the early phase of the diffuse use outside experimental trials conducted in high selected centers. Moreover, actual price, limited availability, and resources disposal constitute a further indication to a rational and progressive approach to this innovative treatment. To elaborate this algorithm, the experience with allogeneic transplantation has been used has a predictive model. In this large worldwide experience, it has been clearly demonstrated that key for the optimal transplant outcome is optimal transfusion and chelation therapy in the years before the procedure and consequently optimal patient’s clinical condition. In the document, different clinical scenarios have been considered and analyzed for the possible impact on treatment outcome. According to the European Medicine Agency (EMA) for the GT product, this expert opinion must be considered as a dynamic, updatable, priority-based indications for physicians taking care of TDT patients.
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21
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Yılmaz K, Kan A, Çetincakmak MG, Uzel VH, Yılmaz D, Deniz MA, Hattapoglu S. Relationship Between Pituitary Siderosis and Endocrinological Disorders in Pediatric Patients with Beta-Thalassemia. Cureus 2021; 13:e12877. [PMID: 33633906 PMCID: PMC7899051 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.12877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Excess iron accumulation occurs mainly in organs such as reticuloendothelial cells, the pituitary gland, and the pancreas in beta-thalassemia because of blood transfusions. In the present study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between T2* values on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinically diagnosed pituitary endocrinological disorders in children with thalassemia major. Methods This study enrolled patients diagnosed with beta-thalassemia at pediatric hematology outpatient clinics. In the study, in addition to the medical history of the patients, routinely performed tests, including hemoglobin electrophoresis, routine biochemical tests, and tests for pubertal development (follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, testosterone, etc.), as well as iron deposition measured by hepatic MRI T2* (STAR) sequence, were retrospectively assessed. A total of 29 patients were enrolled. Results Hypothyroidism was detected in 34.6% (9/26) of patients, short stature in 37% (10/27), and pubertal retardation in 50% (14/28) of the patients. There was no significant correlation between hypothyroidism and pituitary MRI T2* values. No significant correlation was found between laboratory parameters and pituitary MRI examination. Although the sensitivity of T2* levels could rise above 80%, their specificity remained low. This is one of the major limitations of the pituitary MR T2* study for the prediction of short stature. The best lower cut-off level of MR T2* to predict short stature was found 14.6 ms. Conclusion The diagnostic specificity pituitary MR examination levels for short stature were detected as low. Thus, the clinical standardization and validation of pituitary MR T2* values examination are needed before clinical follow-up and multifaceted studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Yılmaz
- Pediatrics, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, TUR
| | - Ahmet Kan
- Pediatric Allergy, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, TUR
| | | | - V Hulya Uzel
- Pediatric Oncology, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, TUR
| | - Deniz Yılmaz
- Pathology, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, TUR
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Casale M, Forni GL, Cassinerio E, Pasquali D, Origa R, Serra M, Campisi S, Peluso A, Renni R, Cattoni A, De Michele E, Allò M, Poggi M, Ferrara F, Di Concilio R, Sportelli F, Quarta A, Putti MC, Notarangelo LD, Sau A, Ladogana S, Tartaglione I, Picariello S, Marcon A, Sturiale P, Roberti D, Lazzarino AI, Perrotta S. Risk factors for endocrine complications in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients on chelation therapy with deferasirox: a risk assessment study from a multicentre nation-wide cohort. Haematologica 2021; 107:467-477. [PMID: 33406815 PMCID: PMC8804575 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2020.272419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Transfusion-dependent patients typically develop iron-induced cardiomyopathy, liver disease, and endocrine complications. We aimed to estimate the incidence of endocrine disorders in transfusiondependent thalassemia (TDT) patients during long-term iron-chelation therapy with deferasirox (DFX). We developed a multi-center follow-up study of 426 TDT patients treated with once-daily DFX for a median duration of 8 years, up to 18.5 years. At baseline, 118, 121, and 187 patients had 0, 1, or ≥2 endocrine diseases respectively. 104 additional endocrine diseases were developed during the follow-up. The overall risk of developing a new endocrine complication within 5 years was 9.7% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 6.3–13.1). Multiple Cox regression analysis identified three key predictors: age showed a positive log-linear effect (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] for 50% increase 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1–1.3, P=0.005), the serum concentration of thyrotropin showed a positive linear effect (adjusted HR for 1 mIU/L increase 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1–1.4, P<0.001) regardless the kind of disease incident, while the number of previous endocrine diseases showed a negative linear effect: the higher the number of diseases at baseline the lower the chance of developing further diseasess (adjusted HR for unit increase 0.5, 95% CI: 0.4–0.7, P<0.001). Age and thyrotropin had similar effect sizes across the categories of baseline diseases. The administration of levothyroxine as a covariate did not change the estimates. Although in DFX-treated TDT patients the risk of developing an endocrine complication is generally lower than the previously reported risk, there is considerable risk variation and the burden of these complications remains high. We developed a simple risk score chart enabling clinicians to estimate their patients’ risk. Future research will look at increasing the amount of variation explained from our model and testing further clinical and laboratory predictors, including the assessment of direct endocrine magnetic resonance imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddalena Casale
- Department of Women, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, University " Luigi Vanvitelli", via Luigi De Crecchio n. 4, 80138, Naples.
| | - Gian Luca Forni
- Center of Microcitemia and Congenital Anemias, Galliera Hospital, Mura delle Cappuccine 14 16128, Genoa
| | - Elena Cassinerio
- Rare Diseases Center, General Medicine Unit, IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan
| | - Daniela Pasquali
- Endocrinology, Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University " Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples
| | - Raffaella Origa
- Thalassemia Centre, Pediatric Hospital A CAO, AOG Brotzu, Cagliari
| | - Marilena Serra
- Thalassemia Centre, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital "V. Fazzi", Lecce
| | | | - Angelo Peluso
- Centre of Microcitemia, POC SS.Annunziata - ASL TA, Taranto
| | - Roberta Renni
- Thalassemia Centre, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital F.Ferrari, Casarano
| | - Alessandro Cattoni
- Department of Pediatrics, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Fondazione Monza e Brianza per il Bambino e la sua Mamma, Azienda Ospedaliera San Gerardo, Monza
| | - Elisa De Michele
- Immunotransfusion Medicine Unit, AOU OO.RR. S. Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona, Salerno
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Antonella Quarta
- Center for Microcythemia, Iron Metabolism disorders, Gaucher disease-Hematology and Transplantation Unit, "A. Perrino" Hospital, Brindisi
| | | | | | - Antonella Sau
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital "Spirito Santo", Pescara
| | - Saverio Ladogana
- Pediatric Oncohematology Unit, "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" Hospital, IRCCS, San Giovanni Rotondo
| | - Immacolata Tartaglione
- Department of Women, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, University " Luigi Vanvitelli", via Luigi De Crecchio n. 4, 80138, Naples
| | - Stefania Picariello
- Department of Women, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, University " Luigi Vanvitelli", via Luigi De Crecchio n. 4, 80138, Naples
| | - Alessia Marcon
- Rare Diseases Center, General Medicine Unit, IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan
| | | | - Domenico Roberti
- Department of Women, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, University " Luigi Vanvitelli", via Luigi De Crecchio n. 4, 80138, Naples
| | - Antonio Ivan Lazzarino
- EPISTATA - Agency for Clinical Research and Medical Statistics, London E8 3SY, United Kingdom
| | - Silverio Perrotta
- Department of Women, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, University " Luigi Vanvitelli", via Luigi De Crecchio n. 4, 80138, Naples
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Pinto VM, Forni GL. Management of Iron Overload in Beta-Thalassemia Patients: Clinical Practice Update Based on Case Series. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8771. [PMID: 33233561 PMCID: PMC7699680 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalassemia syndromes are characterized by the inability to produce normal hemoglobin. Ineffective erythropoiesis and red cell transfusions are sources of excess iron that the human organism is unable to remove. Iron that is not saturated by transferrin is a toxic agent that, in transfusion-dependent patients, leads to death from iron-induced cardiomyopathy in the second decade of life. The availability of effective iron chelators, advances in the understanding of the mechanism of iron toxicity and overloading, and the availability of noninvasive methods to monitor iron loading and unloading in the liver, heart, and pancreas have all significantly increased the survival of patients with thalassemia. Prolonged exposure to iron toxicity is involved in the development of endocrinopathy, osteoporosis, cirrhosis, renal failure, and malignant transformation. Now that survival has been dramatically improved, the challenge of iron chelation therapy is to prevent complications. The time has come to consider that the primary goal of chelation therapy is to avoid 24-h exposure to toxic iron and maintain body iron levels within the normal range, avoiding possible chelation-related damage. It is very important to minimize irreversible organ damage to prevent malignant transformation before complications set in and make patients ineligible for current and future curative therapies. In this clinical case-based review, we highlight particular aspects of the management of iron overload in patients with beta-thalassemia syndromes, focusing on our own experience in treating such patients. We review the pathophysiology of iron overload and the different ways to assess, quantify, and monitor it. We also discuss chelation strategies that can be used with currently available chelators, balancing the need to keep non-transferrin-bound iron levels to a minimum (zero) 24 h a day, 7 days a week and the risk of over-chelation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Maria Pinto
- Centro della Microcitemia e delle Anemie Congenite Ente Ospedaliero Ospedali Galliera, Via Volta 6, 16128 Genoa, Italy;
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Ngim CF, Lai NM, Hong JY, Tan SL, Ramadas A, Muthukumarasamy P, Thong MK. Growth hormone therapy for people with thalassaemia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020; 5:CD012284. [PMID: 32463488 PMCID: PMC7387677 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd012284.pub3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thalassaemia is a recessively-inherited blood disorder that leads to anaemia of varying severity. In those affected by the more severe forms, regular blood transfusions are required which may lead to iron overload. Accumulated iron from blood transfusions may be deposited in vital organs including the heart, liver and endocrine organs such as the pituitary glands which can affect growth hormone production. Growth hormone deficiency is one of the factors that can lead to short stature, a common complication in people with thalassaemia. Growth hormone replacement therapy has been used in children with thalassaemia who have short stature and growth hormone deficiency. This review on the role of growth hormone was originally published in September 2017 and updated in April 2020. OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and safety of growth hormone therapy in people with thalassaemia. SEARCH METHODS We searched the Cochrane Haemoglobinopathies Trials Register, compiled from electronic database searches and handsearching of journals and conference abstract books. Date of latest search: 14 November 2019. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles, reviews and clinical trial registries. Date of latest search: 06 January 2020. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing the use of growth hormone therapy to placebo or standard care in people with thalassaemia of any type or severity. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two authors independently selected trials for inclusion. Data extraction and assessment of risk of bias were also conducted independently by two authors. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using GRADE criteria. MAIN RESULTS We included one parallel trial conducted in Turkey. The trial recruited 20 children with homozygous beta thalassaemia who had short stature; 10 children received growth hormone therapy administered subcutaneously on a daily basis at a dose of 0.7 IU/kg per week and 10 children received standard care. The overall risk of bias in this trial was low except for the selection criteria and attrition bias which were unclear. The certainty of the evidence for all major outcomes was moderate, the main concern was imprecision of the estimates due to the small sample size leading to wide confidence intervals. Final height (cm) (the review's pre-specified primary outcome) and change in height were not assessed in the included trial. The trial reported no clear difference between groups in height standard deviation (SD) score after one year, mean difference (MD) -0.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.33 to 0.15 (moderate-certainty evidence). However, modest improvements appeared to be observed in the following key outcomes in children receiving growth hormone therapy compared to control (moderate-certainty evidence): change between baseline and final visit in height SD score, MD 0.26 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.39); height velocity, MD 2.28 cm/year (95% CI 1.76 to 2.80); height velocity SD score, MD 3.31 (95% CI 2.43 to 4.19); and change in height velocity SD score between baseline and final visit, MD 3.41 (95% CI 2.45 to 4.37). No adverse effects of treatment were reported in either group; however, while there was no clear difference between groups in the oral glucose tolerance test at one year, fasting blood glucose was significantly higher in the growth hormone therapy group compared to control, although both results were still within the normal range, MD 6.67 mg/dL (95% CI 2.66 to 10.68). There were no data beyond the one-year trial period. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS A small single trial contributed evidence of moderate certainty that the use of growth hormone for a year may improve height velocity of children with thalassaemia although height SD score in the treatment group was similar to the control group. There are no randomised controlled trials in adults or trials that address the use of growth hormone therapy over a longer period and assess its effect on final height and quality of life. The optimal dosage of growth hormone and the ideal time to start this therapy remain uncertain. Large well-designed randomised controlled trials over a longer period with sufficient duration of follow up are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Fang Ngim
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
| | - Nai Ming Lai
- School of Medicine, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Janet Yh Hong
- Department of Paediatrics, Putrajaya Hospital, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Shir Ley Tan
- HPS Pharmacies, Calvary North Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Amutha Ramadas
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
| | | | - Meow-Keong Thong
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Malaya Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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25
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Iron and Advanced Glycation End Products: Emerging Role of Iron in Androgen Deficiency in Obesity. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:antiox9030261. [PMID: 32235809 PMCID: PMC7139764 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9030261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The literature suggests a bidirectional relationship between testosterone (T) and iron, but mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. We investigated effects of iron on advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in obesity-related androgen deficiency. In total, 111 men were recruited, and iron biomarkers and N(ɛ)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) were measured. In an animal study, rats were fed a 50% high-fat diet (HFD) with (0.25, 1, and 2 g ferric iron/kg diet) or without ferric citrate for 12 weeks. Obese rats supplemented with >1 g iron/kg diet had decreased testicular total T compared to HFD alone. Immunohistochemical staining showed that >1 g of ferric iron increased iron and AGE retention in testicular interstitial tissues, which is associated with increased expression of the receptor for AGEs (RAGE), tumor necrosis factor-α, and nitric oxide. Compared with normal weight, overweight/obese men had lower T levels and higher rates of hypogonadism (19% vs. 11.3%) and iron overload (29.8% vs.15.9%). A correlation analysis showed serum total T was positively correlated with transferrin saturation (r = 0.242, p = 0.007) and cathepsin D (r = 0.330, p = 0.001), but negatively correlated with red blood cell aggregation (r = −0.419, p<0.0001) and CML (r = −0.209, p < 0.05). In conclusion, AGEs may partially explain the underlying relationship between dysregulated iron and T deficiency.
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26
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Karadas N, Yurekli B, Bayraktaroglu S, Aydinok Y. Insulin secretion-sensitivity index-2 could be a novel marker in the identification of the role of pancreatic iron deposition on beta-cell function in thalassemia major. Endocr J 2019; 66:1093-1099. [PMID: 31527320 DOI: 10.1507/endocrj.ej19-0191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of insulin secretion-sensitivity index-2 (ISSI-2) in the identification of the role of pancreatic iron deposition on beta-cell function in thalassemia major. Tissue iron stores were measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the liver (R2), pancreas (R2*), and heart (T2*). ISSI-2 was assessed as a novel oral glucose tolerance test-based measure of beta-cell function. Also, the Stumvoll index showing the insulin sensitivity and Stumvoll index estimating first and second phase insulin secretion were calculated. Fourteen of the 51 Thalassemia Major patients, aged 8-34 (mean 21.1 ± 7.2) years-old, had either an impaired glucose tolerance test (n = 9, 17.6%) or diabetes mellitus (n = 5, 9.8%)-referred to as the glucose dysregulation (GD) group. The median serum ferritin and the mean liver R2 and cardiac T2* values were not significantly different between the GD and normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n = 37) groups whereas pancreas R2* was significantly higher in the GD group compared to the NGT group (p = 0.004). Patients with GD showed significantly lower ISSI-2 index (p < 0.001) as well as the Stumvoll index and Stumvoll first and second phase indices compared to those with NGT (p < 0.001). All patients with GD displayed a pancreas R2* >50 Hz and ISSI-2 <2. In conclusion, Pancreas R2* MRI combined with ISSI-2 index may be valuable parameters to identify patients at the highest risk for developing glucose dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihal Karadas
- Department of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Banu Yurekli
- Department of Endocrinology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Yesim Aydinok
- Department of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
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27
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Coates TD. Iron overload in transfusion-dependent patients. HEMATOLOGY. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY. EDUCATION PROGRAM 2019; 2019:337-344. [PMID: 31808901 PMCID: PMC6913424 DOI: 10.1182/hematology.2019000036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Before the advent of effective iron chelation, death from iron-induced cardiomyopathy occurred in the second decade in patients with transfusion-dependent chronic anemias. The advances in our understanding of iron metabolism; the ability to monitor iron loading in the liver, heart, pancreas and pituitary; and the availability of several effective iron chelators have dramatically improved survival and reduced morbidity from transfusion-related iron overload. Nevertheless, significantly increased survival brings about new complications such as malignant transformation resulting from prolonged exposure to iron, which need to be considered when developing long-term therapeutic strategies. This review discusses the current biology of iron homeostasis and its close relation to marrow activity in patients with transfusion-dependent anemias, and how biology informs clinical approach to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Coates
- Hematology Section, Children's Center for Cancer, Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
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28
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Major Issues of Care in Thalassemia Major Children Refugees. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2019; 41:644-647. [PMID: 30179993 DOI: 10.1097/mph.0000000000001288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Beta thalassemia major (βTM) is the most common inherited hemoglobinopathy. Management essentially focuses on preventing and treating complications. Conventional treatment is based on a regular blood transfusion program, and chelation therapy. Management essentially focuses on preventing and treating complications. Severe complications of βTM are very rarely seen in children in Europe. In the context of the migrant crisis, pediatricians will be confronted with the challenge of managing severe complicated βTM. We report the case of 2 Syrian 10-year-old twin girls who arrived to France with numerous and severe complications of βTM: hemochromatosis, alloimmunization, hypopituitarism, osteopenia… Their clinical management, which led to successful vital and functional improvement, is reported in this article.
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29
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The Efficacy of Iron Chelators for Removing Iron from Specific Brain Regions and the Pituitary-Ironing out the Brain. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2019; 12:ph12030138. [PMID: 31533229 PMCID: PMC6789569 DOI: 10.3390/ph12030138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron chelation therapy, either subcutaneous or orally administered, has been used successfully in various clinical conditions. The removal of excess iron from various tissues, e.g., the liver spleen, heart, and the pituitary, in beta thalassemia patients, has become an essential therapy to prolong life. More recently, the use of deferiprone to chelate iron from various brain regions in Parkinson’s Disease and Friederich’s Ataxia has yielded encouraging results, although the side effects, in <2% of Parkinson’s Disease(PD) patients, have limited its long-term use. A new class of hydroxpyridinones has recently been synthesised, which showed no adverse effects in preliminary trials. A vital question remaining is whether inflammation may influence chelation efficacy, with a recent study suggesting that high levels of inflammation may diminish the ability of the chelator to bind the excess iron.
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Abstract
The term primary gonadal failure encompasses not only testicular insufficiency in 46,XY males and ovarian insufficiency in 46,XX females, but also those disorders of sex development (DSD) which result in gender assignment that is at variance with the genotype and gonadal type. In boys, causes of gonadal failure include Klinefelter and other aneuploidy syndromes, bilateral cryptorchidism, testicular torsion, and forms of 46,XY DSD such as partial androgen insensitivity. Causes in girls include Turner syndrome and other aneuploidies, galactosemia, and autoimmune ovarian failure. Iatrogenic causes in both boys and girls include the late effects of childhood cancer treatment, total body irradiation prior to bone marrow transplantation, and iron overload in transfusion-dependent thalassaemia. In this paper, a brief description of the physiology of testicular and ovarian development is followed by a section on the causes and practical management of gonadal impairment in boys and girls. Protocols for pubertal induction and post-pubertal hormone replacement - intramuscular, oral and transdermal testosterone in boys; oral and transdermal oestrogen in girls - are then given. Finally, current and future strategies for assisted conception and fertility preservation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmahane Ladjouze
- Faculté de Médecine d'Alger, Service de Pédiatrie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Bad El Oued, 1 Boulevard Said Touati, Algiers, Algeria.
| | - Malcolm Donaldson
- Section of Child Health, School of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 4TF, United Kingdom.
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Abstract
Therapeutic advances, including the availability of oral iron chelators and new non-invasive methods for early detection and treatment of iron overload, have significantly improved the life expectancy and quality of thalassemia patients, with a consequent increase in their reproductive potential and desire to have children. Hundreds of pregnancies have been reported so far, highlighting that women carefully managed in the preconception phase usually carry out a successful gestation and labor, both in case of spontaneous conception and assisted reproductive techniques. A multidisciplinary team including a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, and a gynecologist, under the supervision of an expert in beta-thalassemia, should be involved. During pregnancy, a close follow-up of maternal disorders and of the baby’s status is recommended. Hemoglobin should be maintained over 10 g/dL to allow normal fetal growth. Chelators are not recommended; nevertheless, it may be reasonable to consider restarting chelation therapy with desferrioxamine towards the end of the second trimester when the potential benefits outweigh the potential fetal risk. Women with non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia who have never previously been transfused or who have received only minimal transfusion therapy are at risk of severe alloimmune anemia if blood transfusions are required during pregnancy. Since pregnancy increases the risk of thrombosis three-fold to four-fold and thalassemia is also a hypercoagulable state, the recommendation is to keep women who are at higher risk -such as those who are not regularly transfused and those splenectomised- on prophylaxis during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
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Abstract
Most cells in the body acquire iron via receptor-mediated endocytosis of transferrin, the circulating iron transport protein. When cellular iron levels are sufficient, the uptake of transferrin decreases to limit further iron assimilation and prevent excessive iron accumulation. In iron overload conditions, such as hereditary hemochromatosis and thalassemia major, unregulated iron entry into the plasma overwhelms the carrying capacity of transferrin, resulting in non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI), a redox-active, potentially toxic form of iron. Plasma NTBI is rapidly cleared from the circulation primarily by the liver and other organs (e.g., pancreas, heart, and pituitary) where it contributes significantly to tissue iron overload and related pathology. While NTBI is usually not detectable in the plasma of healthy individuals, it does appear to be a normal constituent of brain interstitial fluid and therefore likely serves as an important source of iron for most cell types in the CNS. A growing body of literature indicates that NTBI uptake is mediated by non-transferrin-bound iron transporters such as ZIP14, L-type and T-type calcium channels, DMT1, ZIP8, and TRPC6. This review provides an overview of NTBI uptake by various tissues and cells and summarizes the evidence for and against the roles of individual transporters in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell D Knutson
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Abstract
As more women with transfusion-dependent thalassemia are seeking pregnancy, ensuring the best outcomes for both the mother and baby requires concerted, collaborative efforts between practitioners and the family. Proactive counseling, early fertility evaluation, recent developments in reproductive technology, and optimal management of iron overload, have resulted in more successful pregnancies and the birth of healthy newborns. With advances in technology for prenatal screening and increased awareness to perform screening for hemoglobinopathies, healthy pregnancy outcomes have become the expectation. Topics that require further study include management that allows fertility preservation, improved non-invasive prenatal diagnosis methods for affected fetuses, the use of chelation therapy during pregnancy, and indications for and duration of anticoagulation.
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Abstract
MRI is a key tool in the current management of patients with thalassemia. Given its capability of assessing iron overload in different organs noninvasively and without contrast, it has significant advantages over other metrics, including serum ferritin. Liver iron concentration can be measured either with relaxometry methods T2*/T2 or signal intensity ratio techniques. Myocardial iron can be assessed in the same examination through T2* imaging. In this review, we focus on showing how MRI evaluates iron in both organs and the clinical applications as well as practical approaches to using this tool by clinicians taking care of patients with thalassemia.
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Abstract
Diamond‐Blackfan anaemia (DBA) is a rare inherited marrow failure disorder, characterized by hypoplastic anaemia, congenital anomalies and a predisposition to cancer as a result of ribosomal dysfunction. Historically, treatment is based on glucocorticoids and/or blood transfusions, which is accompanied by significant toxicity and long‐term sequelae. Currently, stem cell transplantation is the only curative option for the haematological DBA phenotype. Whereas this procedure has been quite successful in the last decade in selected patients, novel therapies and biological insights are still warranted to improve clinical care for all DBA patients. In addition to paediatric haematologists, other physicians (e.g. endocrinologist, gynaecologist) should ideally be involved in the care of this chronic condition from an early age, to improve lifelong management of haematological and non‐haematological symptoms, and screen for DBA‐associated malignancies. Here we provide an overview of current knowledge and recommendations for the day‐to‐day care of DBA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marije Bartels
- Paediatric Haematology Department, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marc Bierings
- Department of Stem cell transplantation, Princess Maxima Centre for Paediatric Oncology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Labranche R, Gilbert G, Cerny M, Vu KN, Soulières D, Olivié D, Billiard JS, Yokoo T, Tang A. Liver Iron Quantification with MR Imaging: A Primer for Radiologists. Radiographics 2018. [PMID: 29528818 DOI: 10.1148/rg.2018170079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Iron overload is a systemic disorder and is either primary (genetic) or secondary (exogenous iron administration). Primary iron overload is most commonly associated with hereditary hemochromatosis and secondary iron overload with ineffective erythropoiesis (predominantly caused by β-thalassemia major and sickle cell disease) that requires long-term transfusion therapy, leading to transfusional hemosiderosis. Iron overload may lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, in addition to cardiac and endocrine complications. The liver is one of the main iron storage organs and the first to show iron overload. Therefore, detection and quantification of liver iron overload are critical to initiate treatment and prevent complications. Liver biopsy was the historical reference standard for detection and quantification of liver iron content. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is now commonly used for liver iron quantification, including assessment of distribution, detection, grading, and monitoring of treatment response in iron overload. Several MR imaging techniques have been developed for iron quantification, each with advantages and limitations. The liver-to-muscle signal intensity ratio technique is simple and widely available; however, it assumes that the reference tissue is normal. Transverse magnetization (also known as R2) relaxometry is validated but is prone to respiratory motion artifacts due to a long acquisition time, is presently available only for 1.5-T imaging, and requires additional cost and delay for off-line analysis. The R2* technique has fast acquisition time, demonstrates a wide range of liver iron content, and is available for 1.5-T and 3.0-T imaging but requires additional postprocessing software. Quantitative susceptibility mapping has the highest sensitivity for detecting iron deposition; however, it is still investigational, and the correlation with liver iron content is not yet established. ©RSNA, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne Labranche
- From the Department of Radiology (R.L., G.G., M.C., K.N.V., D.O., J.S.B., A.T.) and Service of Hemato-oncology, Department of Medicine (D.S.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1000 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC, Canada H2X 0C2; MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, ON, Canada (G.G.); Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (T.Y.); and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada (A.T.)
| | - Guillaume Gilbert
- From the Department of Radiology (R.L., G.G., M.C., K.N.V., D.O., J.S.B., A.T.) and Service of Hemato-oncology, Department of Medicine (D.S.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1000 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC, Canada H2X 0C2; MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, ON, Canada (G.G.); Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (T.Y.); and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada (A.T.)
| | - Milena Cerny
- From the Department of Radiology (R.L., G.G., M.C., K.N.V., D.O., J.S.B., A.T.) and Service of Hemato-oncology, Department of Medicine (D.S.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1000 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC, Canada H2X 0C2; MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, ON, Canada (G.G.); Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (T.Y.); and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada (A.T.)
| | - Kim-Nhien Vu
- From the Department of Radiology (R.L., G.G., M.C., K.N.V., D.O., J.S.B., A.T.) and Service of Hemato-oncology, Department of Medicine (D.S.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1000 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC, Canada H2X 0C2; MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, ON, Canada (G.G.); Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (T.Y.); and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada (A.T.)
| | - Denis Soulières
- From the Department of Radiology (R.L., G.G., M.C., K.N.V., D.O., J.S.B., A.T.) and Service of Hemato-oncology, Department of Medicine (D.S.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1000 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC, Canada H2X 0C2; MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, ON, Canada (G.G.); Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (T.Y.); and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada (A.T.)
| | - Damien Olivié
- From the Department of Radiology (R.L., G.G., M.C., K.N.V., D.O., J.S.B., A.T.) and Service of Hemato-oncology, Department of Medicine (D.S.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1000 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC, Canada H2X 0C2; MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, ON, Canada (G.G.); Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (T.Y.); and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada (A.T.)
| | - Jean-Sébastien Billiard
- From the Department of Radiology (R.L., G.G., M.C., K.N.V., D.O., J.S.B., A.T.) and Service of Hemato-oncology, Department of Medicine (D.S.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1000 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC, Canada H2X 0C2; MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, ON, Canada (G.G.); Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (T.Y.); and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada (A.T.)
| | - Takeshi Yokoo
- From the Department of Radiology (R.L., G.G., M.C., K.N.V., D.O., J.S.B., A.T.) and Service of Hemato-oncology, Department of Medicine (D.S.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1000 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC, Canada H2X 0C2; MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, ON, Canada (G.G.); Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (T.Y.); and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada (A.T.)
| | - An Tang
- From the Department of Radiology (R.L., G.G., M.C., K.N.V., D.O., J.S.B., A.T.) and Service of Hemato-oncology, Department of Medicine (D.S.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 1000 rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC, Canada H2X 0C2; MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, ON, Canada (G.G.); Department of Radiology and Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (T.Y.); and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada (A.T.)
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Alfaqih MA, Bashir N, Saadeh R, Khader Y, Barqawi M, Alqudah S. Dysregulation of the RANKL/RANK/OPG axis in thalassemia intermedia patients. BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:534. [PMID: 30064480 PMCID: PMC6069879 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3616-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Thalassemia intermedia (TI) describes a disease ranging in severity between β thalassemia major (TM) and β thalassemia trait. Osteoporosis is observed in TI and TM. The exact reason of osteoporosis in TI could be hypogonadism and/or an increase in erythropoietin (EPO) levels. The carboxy-terminal collagen cross links (CTX), a marker of bone resorption, and the N-terminal propeptide of type 1 collagen (P1NP), a marker of bone formation are serum markers of osteoporosis. The receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL)/receptor activator of NF-kappaB (RANK)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) axis plays an important role in metabolic bone diseases. Herein, we tested the relationship between the RANKL/RANK/OPG axis and the bone-turnover markers CTX and P1NP in TI. Results We recruited 44 TI patients and 33 non-thalassemic controls and measured the serum levels of hemoglobin, sex steroid hormones, CTX, P1NP, RANKL and OPG. We then used a general linear model to test the association of the above variables with CTX and P1NP as outcome variables. We showed that EPO levels were the strongest predictor of CTX change (P < 0.000), followed by RANKL (P = 0.017). On the other hand, RANKL was the strongest predictor of P1NP change (P < 0.000), followed by OPG (P = 0.009) and EPO (P = 0.024).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud A Alfaqih
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.
| | - Nabil Bashir
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan
| | - Rami Saadeh
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Yousef Khader
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Musa Barqawi
- Department of Pediatrics, Princess Rahma Hospital, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Sara Alqudah
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan
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Gabrielsen JS, Lamb DJ, Lipshultz LI. Iron and a Man's Reproductive Health: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Curr Urol Rep 2018; 19:60. [PMID: 29858708 DOI: 10.1007/s11934-018-0808-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To discuss the physiologic and pathologic effects of iron on men's reproductive health. RECENT FINDINGS Iron overload diseases are associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, infertility, and sexual dysfunction in men. Recent findings have elucidated the roles by which iron may affect the male reproductive axis. Iron is requisite for life. Iron can also catalyze the production of reactive oxygen species. To maintain balance, the human body tightly regulates dietary iron absorption. Severe iron overload disorders-e.g., hereditary hemochromatosis and β-thalassemia-occur when these regulatory mechanisms are deficient. While iron is necessary, the male reproductive system is particularly sensitive to iron overload. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, infertility, and sexual dysfunction commonly occur if excess iron from iron overload disorders is not removed. The average male in the USA consumes significantly more iron than needed to replace daily losses. How this degree of iron loading may affect one's reproductive health remains less clear, but there is evidence it may have adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Scott Gabrielsen
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 6624 Fannin St, Suite 1700, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Dolores J Lamb
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Departments of Urology and Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical Center, 525 East 68th Street 9th Floor, Rm 902, New York, NY, 10065-4870, USA
| | - Larry I Lipshultz
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 6624 Fannin St, Suite 1700, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Bozdağ M, Bayraktaroğlu S, Aydınok Y, Çallı MC. MRI assessment of pituitary iron accumulation by using pituitary-R2 in β-thalassemia patients. Acta Radiol 2018; 59:732-739. [PMID: 28882060 DOI: 10.1177/0284185117730099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Background Patients with thalassemia major (TM) require repeated blood transfusions, which leads to accumulation of iron in a wide variety of tissues. Accumulation of iron in the pituitary gland can lead to irreversible hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) in this group of patients. Purpose To investigate the reliability of pituitary-R2 as a marker to estimate the extent of pituitary iron load by comparing the pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings with hepatic iron load and serum ferritin levels. Material and Methods A total of 38 β-TM patients were classified into HH (group A, n = 18) and non-HH (group B, n = 17) groups. A third group, group C, consisted of 17 healthy participants. Each participant underwent 1.5-T MRI examinations. Pituitary gland heights (PGH), pituitary-R2 values, and liver-R2 values were measured by using multi-echo spin-echo sequences. Results Pituitary-R2 values were significantly higher in group A compared with group B ( P < 0.05). A positive correlation was detected between the pituitary-R2 values and serum ferritin levels in TM patients ( P < 0.01). A threshold value of 14.1 Hz for pituitary-R2 was found to give a high specificity and sensitivity in distinguishing the TM patients with HH from those with normal pituitary functions. PGH measurements were significantly lower in group A compared with group B ( P < 0.05). Conclusion MRI-assessed pituitary-R2 seems to be a reliable marker for differentiating the TM patients with normal pituitary function from those with secondary hypogonadism due to iron toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Bozdağ
- Department of Radiology, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Yeşim Aydınok
- Department of Pediatrics, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Cem Çallı
- Department of Radiology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
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Bou-Fakhredin R, Elias J, Taher AT. Iron Overload and Chelation Therapy in Hemoglobinopathies. THALASSEMIA REPORTS 2018. [DOI: 10.4081/thal.2018.7478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron overload (IOL) is highly prevalent among patients with hemoglobinopathies; both transfusion dependent thalassemia (TDT) and non-transfusion dependent thalassemia (NTDT). Whether IOL is secondary to regular transfusions like in TDT, or develops from increased intestinal absorption like in NTDT, it can cause significant morbidity and mortality. In TDT patients, iron accumulation in organ tissues is highly evident, and leads to organ toxicity and dysfunction. IOL in NTDT patients is cumulative with advancing age, and concern with secondary morbidity starts beyond the age of 10 years, as shown by the OPTIMAL CARE study. Several modalities are available for the diagnosis and monitoring of IOL. Serum ferritin (SF) assessment is widely available and heavily relied on in resource-poor countries. Non-invasive iron monitoring using MRI has become the gold standard to diagnose IOL. Three iron chelators are currently available for the treatment of IOL: deferoxamine (DFO) in subcutaneous or intravenous injection, oral deferiprone (DFP) in tablet or solution form, and oral deferasirox (DFX) in dispersible tablet (DT) and film-coated tablet (FCT). Today, the goal of ICT is to maintain safe levels of body iron at all times. Appropriate tailoring ICT with chelator choices and dose adjustment must be implemented in a timely manner. Clinical decision to initiate, adjust and stop ICT is based on SF, MRI-LIC and cardiac T2*. In this article, we review the mechanism of IOL in both TDT and NTDT, the pathophysiology behind it, its complications, and the different ways to assess and quantify it. We will also discuss the different ICT modalities available, and the emergence of novel therapies.
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Effect of iron overload on impaired fertility in male patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia. Pediatr Res 2018; 83:655-661. [PMID: 29166371 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2017.296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BackgroundTo investigate the fertility of male patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia, and to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a novel method to assess the iron overload status of testis in such patients.MethodsTwenty-one male patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia and five normal male controls enrolled in this study. Hormonal profiles, iron levels, MRI testicular dimension, MRI T2 values, parameters for sperm quality, and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) of participants were measured.ResultsThe MRI T2 values of the testis were significantly lower in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia patients than in normal controls (P=0.027), and they correlated to serum ferritin levels in all enrolled subjects (R2=0.258, P=0.008). There were significantly lower sperm concentrations (P=0.037), a lower percentage of sperm with normal morphology (P=0.001), and a higher percentage of SDF (P=0.009) in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia patients without hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and with spontaneous spermatogenesis compared with normal controls. The percentage of SDF was significantly correlated with serum ferritin levels in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia male patients with spontaneous spermatogenesis (R2=0.48, P=0.009).ConclusionOur study is the first demonstration of iron deposition in the testis of patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia based on imaging, and such findings might explain the high prevalence of impaired fertility in above patients with normal pituitary function.
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Abstract
Introduction of MRI techniques for identifying and monitoring tissue iron overload and the current understanding of iron homeostasis in transfusion-dependent (TDT) and non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia have allowed for a more robust administration of iron chelation therapies. The development of safe and efficient oral iron chelators and the insights gained from large-scale prospective studies using these agents have improved iron overload management. A significant reduction in iron toxicity-induced morbidity and mortality and improvements in quality of life were observed in TDT. The appropriate management of tissue-specific iron loading in TDT has been portrayed using evidence-based data obtained from investigational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesim Aydinok
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Ege University Children's Hospital, Bornova, Izmir 35100, Turkey.
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Abstract
Inherited haemoglobin disorders, including thalassaemia and sickle-cell disease, are the most common monogenic diseases worldwide. Several clinical forms of α-thalassaemia and β-thalassaemia, including the co-inheritance of β-thalassaemia with haemoglobin E resulting in haemoglobin E/β-thalassaemia, have been described. The disease hallmarks include imbalance in the α/β-globin chain ratio, ineffective erythropoiesis, chronic haemolytic anaemia, compensatory haemopoietic expansion, hypercoagulability, and increased intestinal iron absorption. The complications of iron overload, arising from transfusions that represent the basis of disease management in most patients with severe thalassaemia, might further complicate the clinical phenotype. These pathophysiological mechanisms lead to an array of clinical manifestations involving numerous organ systems. Conventional management primarily relies on transfusion and iron-chelation therapy, as well as splenectomy in specific cases. An increased understanding of the molecular and pathogenic factors that govern the disease process have suggested routes for the development of new therapeutic approaches that address the underlying chain imbalance, ineffective erythropoiesis, and iron dysregulation, with several agents being evaluated in preclinical models and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali T Taher
- Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Centre, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - David J Weatherall
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Maria Domenica Cappellini
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community, University of Milan, IRCCS Ca'Granda Foundation Maggiore Policlinico Hospital, Milan, Italy
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De Sanctis V, Soliman AT, Elsedfy H, Di Maio S, Canatan D, Soliman N, Karimi M, Kattamis C. Gonadal dysfunction in adult male patients with thalassemia major: an update for clinicians caring for thalassemia. Expert Rev Hematol 2017; 10:1095-1106. [PMID: 29072100 DOI: 10.1080/17474086.2017.1398080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hypogonadism is the most frequently reported endocrine complication, affecting 40%-80% of thalassemia major (TM) patients. The prevalence and severity of hypogonadism in TM varies among studies, depending on patients' age, genotype, transfusion frequency and starting age and efficiency of iron chelation. Areas covered: The diagnosis requires careful clinical assessment and appropriate laboratory testing. Its management is more complex compared to other 'classical' causes of hypogonadism because of multiple associated disorders (cardiac, hepatic and endocrine) and other contributing factors basically iron overload and iron toxicity. Expert commentary: Early recognition and treatment of hypogonadism in TM patients is most important to prevent late complications and to enhance the chances of parenthood. The goal of management is to restore deficient glandular function. If fertility is the issue and the testis is under-stimulated because of gonadotropin deficiency, it is possible to induce or restore spermatogenesis with exogenous gonadotropins in some patients. Assisted reproductive techniques may supplementary help to overcome previously untreatable causes of male infertility. These positive achievements should encourage health care providers to pay closer attention to the reproductive health of TM patients. This would involve the collaboration of clinicians caring for thalassemia with endocrinologists and specialists in assisted reproductive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo De Sanctis
- a Pediatric and Endocrine Outpatient Clinic , Quisisana Hospital , Ferrara , Italy
| | - Ashraf T Soliman
- b Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology , Alexandria University Children's Hospital , Alexandria , Egypt
| | - Heba Elsedfy
- c Department of Pediatrics , Ain Shams University , Cairo , Egypt
| | - Salvatore Di Maio
- d Emeritus Director in Pediatrics , Santobono-Pausilipon Hospital , Naples , Italy
| | - Duran Canatan
- e Director of Thalassemia Diagnosis Center of Mediterranean Blood Diseases Foundation , Antalya , Turkey
| | - Nada Soliman
- f Student's Hospital , Ministry of Health , Alexandria , Egypt
| | - Mehran Karimi
- g Hematology Research Center , Shiraz University of Medical Science , Shiraz , Iran
| | - Christos Kattamis
- h First Department of Paediatrics , University of Athens , Athens , Greece
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Moiz B, Habib A, Sawani S, Raheem A, Hasan B, Gangwani M. Anthropometric measurements in children having transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 23:248-252. [PMID: 29086659 DOI: 10.1080/10245332.2017.1396044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the anthropometric measurements in transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia children in Pakistan. The secondary aim was to correlate serum ferritin with the physical growth. METHODS We enrolled 367 children (aged 5-17 years) with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia major in the study. Anthropometric measurements, serum ferritin levels, and pre-transfusion hemoglobin levels were measured. Serum ferritin was correlated with the height z-score for age. RESULTS Laboratory evaluation showed that patients had significantly low mean pre-transfusion hemoglobin of 7.66 ± 1.34 g/dl (range 2.5-10.5) and high median (Q3-Q1) serum ferritin of 5012 ng/ml (6829-3532). The median (Q3-Q1) height-for-age z-score of children was low at -2.69 and (-1.46 to -3.80) and 65.4% children had stunted growth (height for age z-score <-2). There was a significant negative correlation between height for age z-score and serum ferritin levels (p < 0.000). Stunting of growth began early during 5-10 years of age but increased markedly with the progress of time. CONCLUSIONS The study showed that children with beta thalassemia major had delayed physical growth possibly secondary to iron overload. Effective and early iron chelation is needed for preventing growth failure in transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bushra Moiz
- a Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine , The Aga Khan University , Karachi , Pakistan
| | - Aysha Habib
- a Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine , The Aga Khan University , Karachi , Pakistan
| | - Sobiya Sawani
- b Community Health Sciences , Aga Khan University , Karachi , Pakistan
| | - Ahmed Raheem
- a Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine , The Aga Khan University , Karachi , Pakistan
| | - Bilal Hasan
- c Aga Khan Medical College , Karachi , Pakistan
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Wood
- Department of Pediatrics and Radiology, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles-USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Ngim CF, Lai NM, Hong JYH, Tan SL, Ramadas A, Muthukumarasamy P, Thong M. Growth hormone therapy for people with thalassaemia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017; 9:CD012284. [PMID: 28921500 PMCID: PMC6353149 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd012284.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thalassaemia is a recessively-inherited blood disorder that leads to anaemia of varying severity. In those affected by the more severe forms, regular blood transfusions are required which may lead to iron overload. Accumulated iron from blood transfusions may be deposited in vital organs including the heart, liver and endocrine organs such as the pituitary glands which can affect growth hormone production. Growth hormone deficiency is one of the factors that can lead to short stature, a common complication in people with thalassaemia. Growth hormone replacement therapy has been used in children with thalassaemia who have short stature and growth hormone deficiency. OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and safety of growth hormone therapy in people with thalassaemia. SEARCH METHODS We searched the Cochrane Haemoglobinopathies Trials Register, compiled from electronic database searches and handsearching of journals and conference abstract books. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles, reviews and clinical trial registries. Our database and trial registry searches are current to 10 August 2017 and 08 August 2017, respectively. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing the use of growth hormone therapy to placebo or standard care in people with thalassaemia of any type or severity. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two authors independently selected trials for inclusion. Data extraction and assessment of risk of bias were also conducted independently by two authors. The quality of the evidence was assessed using GRADE criteria. MAIN RESULTS One parallel trial conducted in Turkey was included. The trial recruited 20 children with homozygous beta thalassaemia who had short stature; 10 children received growth hormone therapy administered subcutaneously on a daily basis at a dose of 0.7 IU/kg per week and 10 children received standard care. The overall risk of bias in this trial was low except for the selection criteria and attrition bias which were unclear. The quality of the evidence for all major outcomes was moderate, the main concern was imprecision of the estimates due to the small sample size leading to wide confidence intervals. Final height (cm) (the review's pre-specified primary outcome) and change in height were not assessed in the included trial. The trial reported no clear difference between groups in height standard deviation (SD) score after one year, mean difference (MD) -0.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.33 to 0.15 (moderate quality evidence). However, modest improvements appeared to be observed in the following key outcomes in children receiving growth hormone therapy compared to control (moderate quality evidence): change between baseline and final visit in height SD score, MD 0.26 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.39); height velocity, MD 2.28 cm/year (95% CI 1.76 to 2.80); height velocity SD score, MD 3.31 (95% CI 2.43 to 4.19); and change in height velocity SD score between baseline and final visit, MD 3.41 (95% CI 2.45 to 4.37). No adverse effects of treatment were reported in either group; however, while there was no clear difference between groups in the oral glucose tolerance test at one year, fasting blood glucose was significantly higher in the growth hormone therapy group compared to control, although both results were still within the normal range, MD 6.67 mg/dL (95% CI 2.66 to 10.68). There were no data beyond the one-year trial period. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS A small single trial contributed evidence of moderate quality that the use of growth hormone for a year may improve height velocity of children with thalassaemia although height SD score in the treatment group was similar to the control group. There are no randomised controlled trials in adults or trials that address the use of growth hormone therapy over a longer period and assess its effect on final height and quality of life. The optimal dosage of growth hormone and the ideal time to start this therapy remain uncertain. Large well-designed randomised controlled trials over a longer period with sufficient duration of follow up are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Fang Ngim
- Monash University MalaysiaJeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health SciencesJohor BahruMalaysia
| | - Nai Ming Lai
- Taylor's UniversitySchool of MedicineSubang JayaMalaysia
| | - Janet YH Hong
- Putrajaya HospitalDepartment of PaediatricsPrecinct 7PutrajayaMalaysia62250
| | - Shir Ley Tan
- Taylor's UniversitySchool of PharmacyNo 1, Jalan Taylor'sSubang JayaMalaysia47500
| | - Amutha Ramadas
- Monash University MalaysiaJeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health SciencesJohor BahruMalaysia
| | - Premala Muthukumarasamy
- University of Malaya Medical CenterDepartment of PaediatricsJalan UniversitiKuala LumpurMalaysia519000
| | - Meow‐Keong Thong
- University of Malaya Medical CenterDepartment of PaediatricsJalan UniversitiKuala LumpurMalaysia519000
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Ghafuri DL, Stimpson SJ, Day ME, James A, DeBaun MR, Sharma D. Fertility challenges for women with sickle cell disease. Expert Rev Hematol 2017; 10:891-901. [PMID: 28891355 DOI: 10.1080/17474086.2017.1367279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sickle cell disease (SCD) represents one of the most common monogenic blood disorders worldwide, with an incidence of over 300,000 newborns affected per year. Reproductive challenges for men and women with SCD have been previously reviewed; however, evidence-based strategies to prevent and manage infertility and increase fecundity are lacking in women with SCD, which is one of the most important factors for quality of life. Areas covered: This review article summarizes the known risk factors for infertility, low fecundity, and premature menopause related to SCD. Expert commentary: Women with SCD have unique risk factors that may impact their ability to conceive, including chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, transfusion-related hemochromatosis, and ovarian sickling, causing ischemia and reperfusion injury to the ovary. Contraception is strongly recommended while on hydroxyurea therapy during reproductive years and discontinuing hydroxyurea for family planning and during pregnancy based on teratogenicity in animal studies. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the only curative therapy, sometimes involves conditioning regimens containing alkylating agents and total body irradiation that contribute to infertility and premature ovarian failure. Prior to HSCT or gene therapy, we strongly recommend referral to a reproductive endocrinologist to discuss fertility preservation and surrogacy options for all women with SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Djamila L Ghafuri
- a Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt-Meharry-Matthew Walker Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Sarah-Jo Stimpson
- a Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt-Meharry-Matthew Walker Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Melissa E Day
- a Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt-Meharry-Matthew Walker Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Andra James
- b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA
| | - Michael R DeBaun
- a Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt-Meharry-Matthew Walker Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , TN , USA
| | - Deva Sharma
- b Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA
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Diminished ovarian reserve in women with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia major: Is iron gonadotoxic? Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2017; 216:69-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2017.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 06/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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50
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Coates TD, Carson S, Wood JC, Berdoukas V. Management of iron overload in hemoglobinopathies: what is the appropriate target iron level? Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017; 1368:95-106. [PMID: 27186942 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Patients with thalassemia become iron overloaded from increased absorption of iron, ineffective erythropoiesis, and chronic transfusion. Before effective iron chelation became available, thalassemia major patients died of iron-related cardiac failure in the second decade of life. Initial treatment goals for chelation therapy were aimed at levels of ferritin and liver iron concentrations associated with prevention of adverse cardiac outcomes and avoidance of chelator toxicity. Cardiac deaths were greatly reduced and survival was much longer. Epidemiological data from the general population draw clear associations between increased transferrin saturation (and, by inference, labile iron) and early death, diabetes, and malignant transformation. The rate of cancers now seems to be significantly higher in thalassemia than in the general population. Reduction in iron can reverse many of these complications and reduce the risk of malignancy. As toxicity can result from prolonged exposure to even low levels of excess iron, and survival in thalassemia patients is now many decades, it would seem prudent to refocus attention on prevention of long-term complications of iron overload and to maintain labile iron and total body iron levels within a normal range, if expertise and resources are available to avoid complications of overtreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Coates
- Section of Hematology, Children's Center for Cancer, Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation
| | - Susan Carson
- Section of Hematology, Children's Center for Cancer, Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation
| | - John C Wood
- Division of Cardiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
| | - Vasilios Berdoukas
- Section of Hematology, Children's Center for Cancer, Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation
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