Deferasirox (Exjade) significantly improves cardiac T2* in heavily iron-overloaded patients with beta-thalassemia major.
Noninvasive measurement of tissue iron levels can be assessed using T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify and monitor patients with iron overload. This study monitored cardiac siderosis using T2* MRI in a cohort of 19 heavily iron-overloaded patients with beta-thalassemia major receiving iron chelation therapy with deferasirox over an 18-month period. Overall, deferasirox therapy significantly improved mean + or - standard deviation cardiac T2* from a baseline of 17.2 + or - 10.8 to 21.5 + or - 12.8 ms (+25.0%; P = 0.02). A concomitant reduction in median serum ferritin from a baseline of 5,497 to 4,235 ng/mL (-23.0%; P = 0.001), and mean liver iron concentration from 24.2 + or - 9.0 to 17.6 + or - 12.9 mg Fe/g dry weight (-27.1%; P = 0.01) was also seen. Improvements were seen in patients with various degrees of cardiac siderosis, including those patients with a baseline cardiac T2* of <10 ms, indicative of high cardiac iron burden. These findings therefore support previous observations that deferasirox is effective in the removal of myocardial iron with concomitant reduction in total body iron.
Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman.
Anil
A
Pathare
Ali
A
Taher
Shahina
S
Daar
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001565:Benzoates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D000077588:Deferasirox; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
D001565:Benzoates; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D014230:Triazoles; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D000077588:Deferasirox