title: Iron absorption in patients with beta-thalassaemia/haemoglobin E disease and the effect of splenectomy.
abstract: Intestinal 59Fe absorption was measured in 16 patients with beta-thalassaemia/haemoglobin E disease and in 5 normal controls, using a total-body counting technique. The average iron absorption in the patients was 62% in contrast to 16.5% in the normal controls. 6 of the 9 splenectomized patients had absorption values above 65%, while only 2 of the 7 nonsplenectomized patients had comparably high values.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005319:Fetal Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006446:Hemoglobin E; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000378:metabolism*; D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007504:Iron Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D013156:Splenectomy; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal; D007504:Iron Radioisotopes; D006446:Hemoglobin E; D005319:Fetal Hemoglobin; D007501:Iron