title: Serum fasting lipid profile in children and adolescents with β-thalassaemia major in southern Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serum fasting lipid profile has been studied in various clinical spectrum of Beta (β)-thalassaemia syndrome. Premature cardiac impairment in thalassaemia major appears primarily due to iron accumulation and oxidative injury; however it might be a sequel of abnormal lipoprotein concentrations. The rational of this study is to analyse the serum fasting lipid profile in cardiovascular disease free β-thalassaemia major (β-TM) patients. Relationships with age, gender, haematological parameters, liver enzymes and serum ferritin were observed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fasting serum lipid levels, liver function test (LFT), complete blood count (CBC) and serum ferritin were measured in 36 patients with homozygous β-TM from March 2012 to March 2014. Patients were stratified into two groups, age≤15 and >15 years, to determine the possible lipid profile distinction in relation to age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  17 were males and 19 were females, with median age of 12.0 years. The mean total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were 5.01±1.32 and 8.36±5.28 mmol/L respectively. High TG was detected in 36.1%, while high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) were markedly low, 0.98±0.51 and 2.35±1.22 mmol/L respectively. No statistically significant difference was noted between the two age groups. The median TC to HDL ratio (TC:HDL) was elevated, 5.7 (4.0). We established significant correlation of total bilirubin with TC (r=-0.4), HDL (r=-0.5) and LDL (r=-0.4) (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dyslipidaemia in β-TM patients is irrespective of age and gender including low HDL and high TC:HDL, whilst high TC:HDL may contribute as a significant risk marker for future cardiac events in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, Department of Haematology, Karachi, Pakistan. sana.khawar@lnh.edu.pk.
authors.forename: Sana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashar
authors.forename: Sadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sultan
authors.forename: Syed Mohammed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Irfan
authors.forename: Aiman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheeraz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002648:Child; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D005293:Ferritins