hypothyroidism in β-thalassemia intermedia patients with and without hydroxyurea

hydroxyurea (hu) has been successfully used in patients with β-thalassemia intermedia (β-ti). we aimed to evaluate the effect of the long-term use of hu on thyroid function in patients with β-ti. seventy-five patients with β-ti aged≥11 years and taking hu were randomly selected during 2010 in southern iran. thirty-one patients with β-ti without hu were considered as a control group. serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (tsh) and t4 were measured. the mean age of the participants was 22.7±5.1 years (age range=12-41 years). serum ferritin level had no significant correlation with hu consumption (p>0.05). overall, we detected 10 (9.4%) patients with hypothyroidism. we found that the use of hu at a dose of 8-15 mg/kg/day has no significant association with thyroid function in β-ti patients. however, due to the small sample size in our study, documentation of this finding needs further studies with higher numbers of patients.