Premium
Desferrioxamine therapy accelerates clearance of iron deposits after bone marrow transplantation for thalassaemia
Author(s) -
Giardini C.,
Galimbbrti M.,
Lucarelli G.,
Polchi P.,
Angelucci E.,
Baronciani D.,
Gaziev D.,
Erer B.,
Nasa G. La,
Barbanti I.,
Muretto P.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1995.tb08426.x
Subject(s) - bone marrow transplantation , thalassemia , medicine , bone marrow , transplantation , chelation therapy , beta thalassemia , pathology
We treated 18 heavily iron‐loaded patients who had become ex‐thalassaemics after bone marrow transplantation with subcutaneous desferrioxamine therapy for 5‐20 months. As determined using serum ferritin concentration, transferrin saturation and stainable liver iron obtained in follow‐up biopsies, marked decreases in body iron stores were observed with this regimen. Moreover, the liver function tests demonstrate a trend to normalization in all cases. Local skin reactions to desferrioxamine were the only toxicities observed. We conclude that pharmacological iron chelation is a safe and effective therapy in the reduction of iron deposits in this clinical situation; it therefore represents a valid alternative to phlebotomy in selected patients.