title: The Thalassemia center of Antalya State Hospital: 15 years of experience (1994 to 2008).
abstract: The Thalassemia center of Antalya State Hospital was established in 1994 in Antalya, Turkey. The number of newborns with thalassemia decreased statistically because of actions taken as a result of prevention studies. A total of 388 patients, including 246 with thalassemia major (63.4%), 86 with thalassemia intermediate (22.1%), 23 with sickle cell+β-thalassemia (5.9%), 20 with sickle cell disease (5.1%), and 13 with other hemoglobin abnormalities (3.3%), were studied. Complications were found to be as follows: cardiomyopathy in 45 of them (11.5%), diabetes mellitus in 10 (2.5%), hypothyroidism in 17 (4.3%), hypoparathyroidism in 2 (0.5%), osteoporosis in 53 (13.6%), growth retardation in 110 (28.3%), and hypogonadism in 75 patients (19.3%). The incidence of autoantibody and alloantibody in patients with thalassemia major was 5.6% and 10.5%, respectively. Transfusion-transmission diseases evaluated in patients found the incidence of hepatit A virus IgG to be 97.5%, that of HBs Ab to be 99.5%, HBs Ag to be 0.5%, HCV Ab to be 18%, CMV IgG to be 72.3%, CMV IgM to be 2%, and HIV-Ab to be 0%. Therefore, for the first time in our country the thalassemia center was established as a model and included subunits and a team. It served all patients for 15 years until the team was dispersed; thereafter, most of the patients were not followed up on a regular basis.
authors.affiliation: Akdeniz Kan Hastaliklari Vakfi, Antelsan Is Merkezi, Kisla Mh Gulluk Cd., Antalya, Turkey. dcanatan@superonline.com
authors.forename: Duran
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Canatan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000209:etiology*; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D006783:Hospitals, State; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult