Estimation of serum ferritin and TSH levels in thalassemia patients undergoing iron chelation therapy

Abstract

Objectives & introduction: Thalassemia, heterogenous group of disorders of haemoglobin, characterised by reduced or absent production of one or more of globin chains.Regular red cell transfusion with chelation therapy for iron overload are cornerstones of therapy for Β thalassemia major. Serum ferritin assay is widely available, relatively inexpensive method for assessing body iron burden and monitoring response to chelation process which in turn also improves TSH levels in thalassemic subjects.The objective of this study was to assess prechelation and postchelation levels of serum ferritin and TSH and correlating post chelation levels of serum ferritin and TSH in thalassemic patients >6yrs undergoing chelation therapy. Materials & methods: Serum TSH measured by Enzyme linked fluorescent assay and serum ferritin measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Amongst 500 participants, 47% were males & 53% females. Mean age was 9.04 yrs;prechelation ferritin and TSH levels were 2995.78ng/ml with SD of 802.53 and 5.07 µU/ml with SD of 2.52. The postchelation ferritin and TSH levels were 2168.80 ng/ml with SD of 1335.89 and 4.51µU/ml with SD of 4.76. Paired t test with respect to pre and postchelation ferritin and TSH levels showed 2 tailed p as 0.000 and t>3, both of which considered significant. While correlating post chelation ferritin with TSH levels; they showed a linear correlation (Pearson coefficient of.836). Conclusion: Serum ferritin and TSH estimation in prechelation and postchelation periods give an estimate of iron overload with effect of chelation on it. Both levels decrease post chelation presenting a linear correlation between the two.