Worldwide survey of T2* cardiovascular magnetic resonance in Thalassaemia

Introduction Thalassaemia major (TM) affects hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide but only a minority have access to regular blood transfusion and chelation therapy. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) T2* measurement provides an accurate, reproducible measurement of cardiac iron which is the cause of heart failure and early death in many transfused TM patients. This technique has been adopted as part of routine management in many countries where survival is now approaching normal but little is known about the severity and effects of myocardial iron loading in different geographical regions. Purpose The aim of this study was to describe the burden of disease of myocardial siderosis (measured by T2*) in different populations throughout the world and to assess the relationship between T2* and outcome such as heart failure and cardiac death. Methods 34 worldwide centres were involved in this survey of 3376 patients from Europe, the Middle East, North America, South America, North Africa, Australia and Asia. Anonymised data on myocardial T2* values were analysed in conjunction with clinical outcomes (heart failure and death). Results Overall, 57.5% of patients had no significant iron loading (T2* >20ms), 22.6% had moderate cardiac iron (10ms50%) in South-East Asia had cardiac iron (T2* >20ms) at baseline. At the time of the first scan, 100 patients (3.3%) had confirmed heart failure, the majority of whom (77.0%) had myocardial T2* <10ms with almost all (99%) having T2* <20ms. There were 113 patients who subsequently developed heart failure. 92.0% of these had T2* <10ms and 99.1% had a T2* <20ms. There were 39 deaths. Cardiac T2* values were <10ms in 79.5%, with 92.3% <20ms. Conclusions Even in this well-treated cohort with access to transfusion, chelation and CMR, there is a large proportion of TM patients with moderate to severe cardiac iron loading. Low T2* (<10ms) is associated with cardiac failure and death. There is a huge unmet worldwide need in terms of access to specialist medical care (including transfusion and chelation therapy) together with advanced monitoring techniques (such as CMR)

Natural and vaccine-induced immunity to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C in asplenic patients with beta-thalassemia

Natural and vaccine-induced immunity to meningococcus C (MenC) was evaluated in asplenic adolescents and adults with beta-thalassemia. At baseline 19.3% of patients and 22.8% age-matched controls had positive (&gt; 2 mu g/ml) naturally acquired Men C- specific IgG antibodies; patients had a lower probability of having protective SBA compared to controls (OR =21, p = 0.012). MenC conjugate vaccine (MCC) induced protective IgG concentrations in 63% of patients and 90.1% of controls. SBA increased significantly post vaccination and there were no differences between patients and controls; however patients had significantly lower IgG concentrations post vaccination compared to controls (4.52 vs 10.94 mu g/ml. p &lt; 0.001, respectively). A second dose of MCC given to 11 patients who had received MCC in the past induced higher IgG compared to primary response (p =, 0.001). Naturally- and vaccine-induced immunity to MenC is impaired in asplenic beta-thalassemics; a second dose of MCC improves vaccine immunogenicity and is essential for their optimal protection. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Evaluation of Endocrine Complications in Beta-Thalassemia Intermedia Patients: A Cross Sectional Multi-Center Study

60th Annual Meeting of the American-Society-of-Hematology (ASH) -- DEC 01-04, 2018 -- San Diego, CAWOS: 000454837606312…Amer Soc Hemato

Spontaneous fertility in a male thalassemic patient after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Patients with thalassemia major who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation are at increased risk of gonadal insufficiency and reduced fertility due to the toxicity of both the transfusional iron overload and the gonadotoxic effects of drugs used in the conditioning regimen. We present a case of an ex-thalassemic patient with spontaneous recovery of spermatogenesis that fathered a healthy, term male neonate. Maternal hemoglobin electrophoresis was within normal limits. At the age of 9.5 years the patient underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation. The conditioning therapy included busulfan (16 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg). No irradiation was administered. Thirty-two days after the hematopoietic cell transplantation the patient developed acute graft-versus-host disease needing long-term treatment with methylprednisolone, cyclosporine and immunoglobulin. Although consecutive semen analyses after the hematopoietic cell transplantation revealed azoospermia, the last semen analysis before conception, at the age of 33 years, was improved and normal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (Te) levels were detected. The current pregnancy was the result of physical conception. In this case, it seems that thalassemia major along with the respective treatment prior to- and posthematopoietic cell transplantation did not irreparably impair spermatogenesis, probably due to the pre-pubertal time frame they were implemented.   对于接受异基因造血细胞移植的重型地中海贫血患者，由于输注性铁过载的毒性和预处理方案中所用药物性腺毒性作用这两方面的原因，都使其面临更大的性腺功能不全风险和更低的生育力。本文报道一例精子发生出现自然恢复的原重型地中海贫血患者，他成功孕育出一个健康的足月男婴。母体血红蛋白电泳在正常范围内。患者在9岁半时接受了造血细胞移植。预处理治疗包括白消安（16 mg/kg）和环磷酰胺（200 mg/kg）。未给予照射。造血细胞移植32天后，患者出现急性移植物抗宿主病，需要长期使用甲基强的松龙、环孢素和免疫球蛋白治疗。虽然造血细胞移植后连续的精液分析显示无精子症，但在33岁时受精前的最后一次精液分析有所改善，经检测发现卵泡刺激素（FSH）、黄体生成素（LH）和睾酮（Te）水平正常。目前的怀孕是自然受孕的结果。在这个病例中，看来重型地中海贫血以及造血细胞移植前后相应的治疗并没有对精子发生造成不可恢复的破坏，这可能是由于移植时处于青春发育期前时间段的原因

Spontaneous fertility in a male thalassemic patient after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Patients with thalassemia major who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation are at increased risk of gonadal insufficiency and reduced fertility due to the toxicity of both the transfusional iron overload and the gonadotoxic effects of drugs used in the conditioning regimen. We present a case of an ex-thalassemic patient with spontaneous recovery of spermatogenesis that fathered a healthy, term male neonate. Maternal hemoglobin electrophoresis was within normal limits. At the age of 9.5 years the patient underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation. The conditioning therapy included busulfan (16 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg). No irradiation was administered. Thirty-two days after the hematopoietic cell transplantation the patient developed acute graft-versus-host disease needing long-term treatment with methylprednisolone, cyclosporine and immunoglobulin. Although consecutive semen analyses after the hematopoietic cell transplantation revealed azoospermia, the last semen analysis before conception, at the age of 33 years, was improved and normal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (Te) levels were detected. The current pregnancy was the result of physical conception. In this case, it seems that thalassemia major along with the respective treatment prior to-and post-hematopoietic cell transplantation did not irreparably impair spermatogenesis, probably due to the pre-pubertal time frame they were implemented

Quantification of siderophages in bronchoalveolar fluid in transfusional and primary pulmonary hemosiderosis

Transfusional iron overload may occur in the lungs. We hypothesized that quantitating siderophages in the bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) of heavily transfused patients may prove to be a useful tool in determining lung iron overload in transfusion-dependent patients. The study included six patients (7-20 years) with thalassemia major (TM) who had received multiple blood transfusions, one with hereditary spherocytosis (four blood transfusions) and one with sickle cell disease (never transfused); they were compared to three children with idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) (2.5-7.0 years) as positive controls. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage was performed in seven patients under general anesthesia for elective surgery and the rest were bronchoscoped electively under sedation. Spirometry was also performed in eight patients. There was no significant difference between children with TM and IPH in siderophages as percentage of total count (95% Cl -31.0to 1.5, P= 0.068). There were positive relationships between both mean serum ferritin values during the preceding year and the total number of units of transfused blood, and percent siderophage count among multiply transfused patients (P=0.010, P=0.052, respectively); similar findings were noted for the Golde score (P 0.001, P= 0.031, respectively). None of the patients showed lung function impairment. In conclusion, in this small study, we found that the BALF of multiply transfused patients with benign hematological disorders contain similar numbers of siderophages to that of patients with IPH; this is strongly suggestive of secondary pulmonary hemosiderosis. The correlation between the patients’ serum ferritin, and the BALE siderophages suggests that the later may serve as a marker of pulmonary iron overload in patients requiring blood transfusion and appear to be more sensitive than standard pulmonary function tests