Desferrioxamine therapy accelerates clearance of iron deposits after bone marrow transplantation for thalassaemia.
We treated 18 heavily iron-loaded patients who had become ex-thalassaemics after bone marrow transplantation with subcutaneous desferrioxamine therapy for 5-20 months. As determined using serum ferritin concentration, transferrin saturation and stainable liver iron obtained in follow-up biopsies, marked decreases in body iron stores were observed with this regimen. Moreover, the liver function tests demonstrate a trend to normalization in all cases. Local skin reactions to desferrioxamine were the only toxicities observed. We conclude that pharmacological iron chelation is a safe and effective therapy in the reduction of iron deposits in this clinical situation; it therefore represents a valid alternative to phlebotomy in selected patients.
Giardini
C
C
Divisione Ematologica, Ospedale di Pesaro, Italy.
Galimberti
M
M
Lucarelli
G
G
Polchi
P
P
Angelucci
E
E
Baronciani
D
D
Gaziev
D
D
Erer
B
B
La Nasa
G
G
Barbanti
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D001706:Biopsy; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*
D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D003676:Deferoxamine