title: Association between serum ferritin level, cardiac and hepatic T2-star MRI in patients with major β-thalassemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Frequent blood transfusion is often associated with iron overload. Proper use of iron chelators to treat iron overload requires an accurate measurement of iron levels. Magnetic resonance T2-star (T2* MRI) can measure iron level in the heart and liver. Our goal was to see whether an association exists between serum ferritin level and T2* MRI in patients with major beta thalassemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients with a diagnosis of major beta thalassemia were enrolled in the study. They were older than five years old and needed regular transfusion. Cardiac and hepatic T2*MRI and mean serum ferritin levels were measured within 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant correlation was observed between serum ferritin level and cardiac T2*MRI (p=0.361, r=-0.120).However, a significant correlation was observed between serum ferritin and liver T2*MRI (p=0.021, r=-0.297).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed an association between hepatic T2*MRI and serum ferritin level.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematologist & Oncologist, Department of Pediatrics, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak- Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eghbali
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak- Iran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taherahmadi
authors.affiliation: Student of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak- Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahbazi
authors.affiliation: Pharmacologist, Department of pharmacology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan-Iran.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.affiliation: Blood transfusion research center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ebrahimi
keywords: Ferritin; Iron chelator; Major thalassemia; T2*MRI
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