Serum levels of lipids and lipoproteins in Syrian patients with beta-thalassemia major.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation serum lipids, lipoprotein (a), apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B and total antioxidant status (TAS) in syrian patients with beta-thalassemia major.


METHODS
This study was carried out at Damascus University (Biochemical Laboratories of Medicine and Pharmacy Colleges), Syria between May 2002 and April 2003. This study included 30 patients with beta-thalassemia major, aged between 1.5 and 16-years. All patients had undergone regular blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy (through thalassemia center, Damascus, Syria); also 30 control subjects matched for age were studied. Serum total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, apolipoprotein A1 (apo A1), apolipoprotein B (apo B), lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] and total antioxidant status (TAS) were determined. Blood samples were withdrawn after at least 12-hours of patients fasting and before the blood transfusion.


RESULTS
beta-thalassemia major patients had significantly lower total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and lower density lipoprotein (LDL-C) compared with control (P<0.0001, P<0.0001, P<0.003). While serum triglyceride (TG) and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] levels were higher in b-thalassemia patients than in controls (P<0.0001). The reduction was significant (P<0.0001), in apolipoprotein A1 (apo A1) but not significant (P=0.537) in apo B serum levels, in patients compared to control subjects. Total antioxidant status (TAS) values were lower in beta-thalassemia major patients than in controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The results might suggest that beta- thalassemia may represent an interesting metabolic model: anemia, an activated macrophage system and defective liver function seem interrelated to the final serum lipoprotein pattern. This suggests that antioxidants counteract lipid peroxidation processes and have a protective effect against oxidative damage of red cells of beta-thalassemia patients.
Al-Quobaili
Faizeh A
FA
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Damascus University, PO Box 6735, Damascus, Syria. faizeh@hotvoice.com
Abou Asali
Imad E
IE
D000293:Adolescent; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000097:blood; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy
D000975:Antioxidants; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008055:Lipids; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D008074:Lipoproteins; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol