Safety monitoring of cardiac and hepatic systems in beta-thalassemia patients with chelating treatment in Taiwan

Eur J Haematol. 2003 Jun;70(6):392-7. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0609.2003.00071.x.

Abstract

We conducted a prospective 3-yr clinical study comparing deferiprone (L1) with desferrioxamine (DFX). The therapeutic efficacy and potential side-effects on cardiac and/or hepatic systems of thalassemia patients were assessed by left ventricular ejection fraction, T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and biochemical parameters. In both groups, levels of serum ferritin decreased significantly, and the hepatic function improved notably. Besides decrement of iron, no marked pathohistological changes were observed in the liver biopsies. These results indicated that for patients who failed to respond to DFX treatment, the use of L1 to remove excess iron deposition is recommended.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Chelation Therapy / adverse effects
  • Chelation Therapy / methods*
  • Child
  • Deferiprone
  • Deferoxamine / therapeutic use
  • Deferoxamine / toxicity
  • Female
  • Ferritins / blood
  • Humans
  • Iron / analysis
  • Iron Chelating Agents / therapeutic use
  • Iron Chelating Agents / toxicity
  • Iron Overload / complications
  • Iron Overload / drug therapy
  • Iron Overload / metabolism
  • Liver Function Tests
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Pyridones / therapeutic use
  • Pyridones / toxicity
  • Stroke Volume
  • Taiwan
  • beta-Thalassemia / complications
  • beta-Thalassemia / drug therapy*
  • beta-Thalassemia / metabolism

Substances

  • Iron Chelating Agents
  • Pyridones
  • Deferiprone
  • Ferritins
  • Iron
  • Deferoxamine