Effects of combined deferiprone and desferrioxamine iron chelating therapy in beta-thalassemia major end-stage heart failure: a case report.
Despite usual iron chelating therapy based on desferrioxamine, patients affected by beta-thalassemia major (beta-TM) often develop progressive heart failure caused by myocardial iron overload, which is the leading cause of mortality within the third decade of life. Heart transplantation is a limited therapeutic option, as very often these patients have multi-organ iron deposits and infective complications (particularly hepatitis C), secondary to frequent blood transfusions. We report the case of a 26-year-old male affected by beta-TM with end-stage heart failure, who showed a dramatic improvement in symptoms and myocardial function when a new oral iron chelating agent, deferiprone, was added to standard therapy with desferrioxamine.
Porcu
Maurizio
M
Division of Cardiology, Azienda Ospedaliera G. Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy. maurizioporcu@aob.it <maurizioporcu@aob.it>
Landis
Novella
N
Salis
Stefano
S
Corda
Marco
M
Orrù
Pierpaolo
P
Serra
Emanuela
E
Usai
Barbara
B
Matta
Gildo
G
Galanello
Renzo
R
D000328:Adult; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000077543:Deferiprone; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011728:Pyridones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D011728:Pyridones; D000077543:Deferiprone; D005293:Ferritins; D003676:Deferoxamine