title: Membrane-bound iron contributes to oxidative damage of beta-thalassaemia intermedia erythrocytes.
abstract: Iron-dependent oxidative reactions in beta-thalassaemic erythrocyte membranes are involved in premature cell removal and anaemia. We studied 22 beta-thalassaemia intermedia patients (i) to assess if membrane iron accumulation influences the oxidative damage to thalassaemic cells, and (ii) to see whether the mechanisms of haemoglobin destabilization described in vitro have indicators in circulating erythrocytes. Serum non-transferrin-bound iron as potentially toxic iron for erythrocytes was also evaluated. Membrane-bound free iron significantly correlated to bound haemichromes, suggesting a causal relation, but was poorly related to serum non-transferrin iron, which seems to contribute little to damage from outside the cells. The spleen played an important role in the removal of cells with more membrane iron.
authors.affiliation: Centro Anemie Congenite, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico IRCCS, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tavazzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Graziadei
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Comino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiorelli
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Cappellini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016923:Cell Death; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013156:Splenectomy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D007501:Iron