Association between periodontal inflamed surface area and serum acute phase biomarkers in patients with sickle cell anemia

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) and serum inflammatory biomarkers in patients with sickle cell anemia.

DESIGN

Patients with sickle cell anemia (n = 80) and systemically healthy individuals (n = 80) were enrolled in the study. Crisis episodes were recorded and blood samples were collected from patients with sickle cell anemia. Clinical periodontal parameters and PISA values were calculated from all patients. Ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were analyzed biochemically.

RESULTS

In sickle cell anemia group, presence of periodontitis (p < 0.001) was more frequent than periodontal health (p < 0.001). All clinical periodontal recordings and PISA values were higher in the sickle cell anemia group compared to controls (p < 0.001). Patients with PISA > 776 mm² had 6.06-fold greater chances of having hs-CRP levels above 10 mg/L (OR = 6.06; 95 % CI: 1.9-19.26) and had 31.41-fold greater chances of having ferritin levels above 1000 ng/L (OR = 31.41; 95 % CI: 6.62-149.16). Also, they had 3.27-fold greater risk of having crisis frequency above three times per year (OR = 3.27; 95 % CI: 1.05-10.23) after adjusting for confounders.

CONCLUSION

In patients with sickle cell anemia, positive association was evident between PISA values and serum acute phase biomarkers levels as well as the frequency of acute painful crisis. Patients with increased inflammatory burden may have a higher likelihood of developing periodontitis in the presence of sickle cell anemia. PISA value could be a candidate disease activity indicator in patients with an underlying hematological condition.

Iron Chelators in Treatment of Iron Overload

Patients suffering from iron overload can experience serious complications. In such patients, various organs, such as endocrine glands and liver, can be damaged. Although iron is a crucial element for life, iron overload can be potentially toxic for human cells due to its role in generating free radicals. In the past few decades, there has been a major improvement in the survival of patients who suffer from iron overload due to the application of iron chelation therapy in clinical practice. In clinical use, deferoxamine, deferiprone, and deferasirox are the three United States Food and Drug Administration-approved iron chelators. Each of these iron chelators is well known for the treatment of iron overload in various clinical conditions. Based on several up-to-date studies, this study explained iron overload and its clinical symptoms, introduced each of the above-mentioned iron chelators, and evaluated their advantages and disadvantages with an emphasis on combination therapy, which in recent studies seems a promising approach. In numerous clinical conditions, due to the lack of accurate indicators, choosing a standard approach for iron chelation therapy can be difficult; therefore, further studies on the issue are still required. This study aimed to introduce each of these iron chelators, combination therapy, usage doses, specific clinical applications, and their advantages, toxicity, and side effects.

Safety and efficacy of deferasirox in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia: A 4-year single-center experience

This study was organized to determine the efficacy and safety of deferasirox (DFX) in reducing the SF of patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT). This is a retrospective, descriptive study of 101 transfusion- dependent patients with thalassemia major who were followed for 48 months. Twenty-nine patients who used an alternative chelator either alone or combined, who were not compliant to the treatment, changed the drug due to adverse reactions, and had multiple transfusions and did not complete 4 years of DFX use were excluded. A total 72 out of 101 patients completed the study. SF decreases were noted for the 6-12 and >18-year age groups, from a median of 1532 ng/mL to 1190 ng/mL, and from 1386 ng/mL to 1165 ng/mL, respectively (p > 0.05). The proportion of patients with SF concentrations >2000 ng/mL is decreased (29% at baseline decreased to 15% at the end of the study) during the 48 months. The median SF of those who used <30 mg/kg/day (n = 38) increased from 767 ng/mL to 1006 ng/mL, whereas the >30 mg/kg/day (n = 34) group's SF concentrations decreased from a median of 1575 ng/mL to 1209 ng/mL (p = 0.029). The decrease of median SF values for Syrian patients was statistically significant (p = 0.043). Most common adverse events were gastric irritation symptoms (19.4%). The total DFX discontinuation ratio was calculated as 9.7%. Although dosages between 25-30 mg/kg/day are adequate to stabilize SF concentrations higher dosages are needed to achieve a statistically significant decrease.

Drug safety in thalassemia: lessons from the present and directions for the future

Introduction: Beta-thalassemia is an autosomal recessive hereditary anemia characterized by reduced or absent β-globin chain synthesis, affecting about 60,000 people peryear. Management for β-thalassemia major includes regular blood transfusions followed by iron chelating therapy and drug targeting ineffective erythropoiesis.Areas covered: The safety of licensed drugs for the management of β-thalassemia is reviewed, using evidence from clinical trials and observational research. Such drugs include the iron chelators and the erythrocyte maturation agent luspatercept. The safety of emerging treatment, such as hydroxyurea and thalidomide is also reviewed.Expert opinion: Beta-thalassemia is arare disease, and is not surprising that there are limited studies investigating the safety of drugs used in this disease. Indeed, although observational studies are the main source of drug safety information in areal-world setting, only eleven studies were identified for iron-chelators and none of these estimated the risk of agiven safety outcome. Future work should aim to better leverage existing sources of real-world datato investigate drug safety in thalassemia.

Iron overload and periodontal status in patients with sickle cell anaemia: A case series

AIM

To investigate the association among iron overload, periodontal status, and periodontitis progression rate in sickle cell anaemia (SCA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This case series evaluated 123 patients. Clinical attachment level (CAL) and probing depth (PD) were evaluated at six sites per tooth. Alveolar bone loss was estimated using periapical radiography. Study outcomes were periodontal status (measured as number of sites with CAL of ≥3 mm, CAL of ≥5 mm, PD of ≥4 mm, and PD of ≥6 mm) and periodontitis progression rate (determined as ratio of alveolar bone loss to age). Serum transferrin saturation and ferritin levels were obtained from medical records. Poisson regression was performed to estimate associations. Covariables included in the adjusted models (comorbidities, skin colour, socioeconomic class, and vaso-occlusive crisis) were defined by DAGs.

RESULTS

Serum transferrin saturation level revealed a significant positive association with the number of sites with CAL of ≥3 mm, CAL of ≥5 mm, PD of ≥4 mm, and PD of ≥6 mm. Patients with serum transferrin saturation level of >45% were 1.93 times more likely to have rapid periodontitis progression.

CONCLUSION

High serum transferrin saturation level is associated with a greater extent of periodontitis and rapid periodontitis progression in SCA.