Effect of iron overload on renal functions and oxidative stress in beta thalassemia patients

OBJECTIVES: To check the amount of cellular damage caused by serial transfusions of blood in thalassemia patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan between August 2012 and December 2012. A total of 43 thalassemia patients underwent at least 10 blood transfusions. Comprehensive biochemical analysis of blood was performed to record the levels of creatinine, urea, uric acid, albumin, liver function tests, malondialdehyde (MDA), and ferritin. RESULTS: Serum creatinine (0.732±0.23mg/dl) and uric acid (6.7±0.94mg/dl, p<0.05) were significantly higher in patient groups as compared with the control. Ferritin levels were significantly higher in patients as compared with the control (3103.9±1747.4, p<0.05). Hemoglobin levels were observed in controls 14±1.3g/dl and in patients 7.1±1.03g/dl. No clear relationship exists between age and hematological parameters of thalassemic patients. Serum ferritin level is positively related with serum alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase and MDA (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum MDA and serum ferritin of patients (r=0.593, p<0.05) reflects that both are crucial parameters estimating the cellular damage in patients suffering from thalassemia.