title: Echocardiography in thalassemic patients on blood transfusions and chelation without heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with thalassemia major present chronic hemolysis and require regular blood transfusions which may cause iron overload cardiomyopathy and chronic heart failure. Hemochromatosis is characterized by excessive iron accumulation in tissues, and heart involvement is the main cause of death in patients with thalassemia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac structure and function by conventional Doppler echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging in patients with TM and no clinical evidence of heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective observational study including 18 patients with thalassemia major (TM) receiving regular blood transfusion. To separately evaluate anemia and blood transfusion effects, two gender, age, weight, and height-matched control groups were included: one with healthy individuals (Healthy, n=18) and one with iron deficient anemia patients (Anemia, n=18). Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA followed by Tukey's test or Kruskal-Wallis's and Dunn's test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following echocardiographic variables presented significantly higher values in TM than the Anemia and Healthy groups: left atrium volume index (Healthy: 16.4±6.08; Anemia: 17.9±7.02; TM: 24.1±8.30 cm³/m²); mitral septal E/Em ratio (Healthy: 6.55±1.60; Anemia: 6.74±0.74; TM: 8.10±1.31); and duration of reverse pulmonary vein flow [Healthy: 74.0 (59.0-74.0); Anemia: 70.5 (67.0-74.0); TM: 111 (87.0-120) ms]. The mitral E/A ratio was higher in TM than Anemia (Healthy: 1.80±0.40; Anemia: 1.80±0.24; TM: 2.03±0.34). No differences were found in left ventricular structures and systolic function indexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conventional Doppler echocardiography and tissue Doppler allow changes in left ventricular diastolic function to be identified in asymptomatic patients with thalassemia major.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Marília, FAMEMA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Fábio Villaça
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Guimarães-Filho
authors.forename: João Carlos Ferreira
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Cássia Spínola Custódio
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Waib
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabron-Junior
authors.forename: Doralice Marvulle
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Ana Cristina C V
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: França
authors.forename: Marina Politi
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Okoshi
authors.forename: Katashi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okoshi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015913:Chelation Therapy; D002648:Child; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D016276:Ventricular Function; D055815:Young Adult; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D007502:Iron Chelating Agents