title: Desferrioxamine therapy accelerates clearance of iron deposits after bone marrow transplantation for thalassaemia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Divisione Ematologica, Ospedale di Pesaro, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giardini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galimberti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lucarelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angelucci
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baronciani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gaziev
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Nasa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barbanti
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D003676:Deferoxamine