title: Oral exfoliative cytology as a screening tool for iron overload in β-thalassemia patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased iron overload is frequent problem in thalassemia patients, and this is monitored by serum ferritin levels or chemical assessment of the iron levels in liver tissue. However, repeated monitoring of serum ferritin levels to assess the iron overload is an invasive procedure associated with practical problems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To use Perl's Prussian blue reaction to evaluate the iron overload in beta-thalassemia patients by staining the oral cytosmears.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 35 patients diagnosed with beta-thalassemia. Cytosmears were prepared from exfoliated oral epithelial cells, fixed in 70% ethanol and stained with Perl's Prussian blue stain for detection of blue colored granules in the cytoplasm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  29/35 (82.9%) cases showed a positive reaction for Perl's Prussian blue reaction while 6/35 (17%) cases did not show the presence of blue colored granules in the oral cytosmears. The presence of iron detected by Perl's Prussian blue reaction correlated with serum ferritin level (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perl's Prussian blue reaction can be used to evaluate the iron overload in beta-thalassemia patients by staining the oral cytosmears. It is a simple and noninvasive method for assessment of iron overload in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, I. T. S. Dental College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Ajit Singh
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rathore
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, I. T. S. Dental College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Keshri
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, I. T. S. Dental College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Devi Charan
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, I. T. S. Dental College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Juneja
keywords: Beta thalassemia; Prussian blue; cytology; iron overload