The Association Between Iron Over Load and Tanner Stage Retardation in the Females with B-Thalassemia Major

Abstract

Despite optimal therapy of patients with B- major thalassemia included repeated transfusion of blood program and iron chelation agents helped by increasing survival of these patients but remained a major problem in adolescents of these patients such as growth failure and hypogonadism. This study was aimed to determine the relationship between iron overload and tanner stage retardation among female patients with B- major thalassemia in Thalassemia Hospital in Diwaniyah Governorate. The current study occurred on all female patients diagnosed β-thalassemia major depends on the blood tests, with their age range from 13years to 16 years who registered in Thalassemia unit in Al- Diwaniyah Governorate, Republic of Iraq. In the physical examination, the patients were assessed for weight, height, Tanner stages, and body mass index(BMI), which recorded. S. Ferritin value was used to assess the iron load, and pelvic ultrasound was checked to assess the size of the uterus and both ovaries. The results of the currents study revealed that the total numbers of B- thalassemia major female patients are 31  patients, aged 13-16 years. Age of patients at which diagnosed of B- major thalassemia range from 0.17 to 5 year. The frequency of Blood transfusion (time/Year) ranges from 6 to 33 times/Year. The level of serum ferritin of the patients was ranged from 913-12000 ng/ml with. Tanner stage I was predominant, accounting for 87%, whereas stage II and III accounted for 10% and 3%, respectively. There was a significant negative relation between times transfusion of blood and Tanner. There was a significant correlation between Uterus size, ovarian size, and Tanner stage. Because of inflammation falsely increase serum ferritin or due to the relation between body iron in the body and level of serum ferritin is not always within the linear range, especially in the condition of inflammation or tissue damage. So that level of serum ferritin is not an adequate measure of iron stores in patients with major thalassemia.