Iron stores in multi-transfused thalassaemic patients seem not to be influenced by the HLA system.
The HLA-A and -B antigens of 99 Greek patients with transfusion dependent homozygous beta thalassaemia were determined. The HLA antigen distribution in thalassaemic patients with a severe transfusion siderosis and in patients without signs of siderosis were compared to that of 400 healthy unrelated controls from the same population. There is an increase of HLA-B 14 antigen in both groups of thalassaemics as compared with the controls. No significant difference exists in the distribution of all the other HLA antigens between the two sub-groups of thalassaemics or with the controls.
Konstantopoulos
K
K
Thalassaemia Clinic, First Department of Medicine University of Athens, School of Medicine at Laikon Hospital, Greece. kkonstan@atlas.uoa.gr
Theocharis
S
S
Karagiorga
M
M
Rombos
Y
Y
Youssef
J
J
Karabatsos
F
F
Sourdis
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy
D006680:HLA Antigens; D007501:Iron