title: Iron overload in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.
abstract: The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell diseases characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis in one or more cell lines, resulting in insufficient bone marrow function. For most patients with MDS, supportive care by blood transfusions is still the mainstay of treatment. Especially in low-risk patients, anemia represents the major clinical problem, and many of these patients develop transfusional iron overload. This paper reviews the literature on transfusional iron overload in patients with MDS, looking at pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment of the transfusional iron burden with desferrioxamine and oral chelators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Arhus University Hospital, Aalborg Hospital, Hobrovej 42A, DK-9100 Aalborg, Denmark. d222615@inet.uni2.dk
authors.forename: Peter-D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015913:Chelation Therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012157:Mononuclear Phagocyte System / Q000503:physiopathology; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D014168:Transferrin; D007501:Iron