title: Long-term treatment with deferiprone in a L1 veteran.
abstract: We studied a patient with mild beta-thalassaemia major under treatment with the oral chelator deferiprone (DFP or L1) for about 10 yr (L1 veteran). Due to poor compliance with desferrioxamine, the patient started compassionate use of DFP at an age of 23 yr with a serum ferritin of 5200 microg/L. Monitoring iron overload by SQUID biosusceptometry revealed a dramatic decrease of liver iron concentrations from 4500 to 950 microg/g(liver) within 9.5 yr. A good clinical response to chelation treatment with DFP was observed together with an improvement of liver and cardiac function and a reduction in the hepatitis virus load.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Pediatriche Mediche e Chirurgiche, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meo
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.forename: Maria Angela
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: La Rosa
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zanghì
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kordes
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000077543:Deferiprone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D011728:Pyridones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D011728:Pyridones; D000077543:Deferiprone; D007501:Iron