Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia major patients is complicated by existing hepatic siderosis and the fear of ribavirin-associated haemolysis. We evaluated the efficacy and side-effects of combination interferon-alpha (INF) and ribavirin therapy for HCV-infected thalassaemia patients. A total of 17 patients were enrolled (10 nonres...

INTRODUCTION Metabolic bone disease represents a major cause of morbidity in patients with thalassaemia major. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence and underlying contributory factors of osteopenia/osteoporosis in a randomly selected population of adult patients with thalassaemia major. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study population was selected using the random sampling method from t...

OBJECTIVE To establish intrauterine diagnosis of thalassaemia major in couples with thalassaemia trait by chorionic villous sampling. METHODS A total of 60 couples with children suffering from transfusion dependent beta-thalassaemia or couples who were known carriers of beta-thalassaemia were included in this study. The standard procedure was followed for the collection of samples which was f...

Antenatal diagnosis was carried out in a pregnancy at risk for beta-thalassaemia major/intermedia, resulting from the Lepore/ beta-thalassaemia genotype, by globin chain synthesis analysis on fetal blood obtained by placentocentesis at 19 weeks' gestation. As there was no radioactive incorporation in the beta-region, the fetus was considered to be a Lepore/ beta-thalassaemia genetic compound an...

The prevalence of the BamH I site 3' to the beta globin gene in Chinese people was determined in 123 normal subjects, 40 patients with heterozygous beta thalassaemia, and 25 patients with homozygous beta thalassaemia. The site was present in 71.1% and absent in 28.9% of the chromosomes carrying normal beta genes. All 25 patients with beta thalassaemia major had the site. This BamH I polymorphis...

Screening of blood reduces but does not eliminate the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in multi-transfused thalassaemia patients. This study was done to evaluate efficacy of HBV vaccination on hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier rate in children with thalassaemia major receiving multiple blood transfusions. In a cohort study conducted at a hospital in Bahawalpur, Pakistan...

The present study was undertaken to evaluate glutathione and its related enzymes in beta-thalassaemia major and to elucidate the effect of splenectomy on glutathione metabolism. The study includes three groups, those are: healthy individuals (n= 35) taken as control, a group of beta-thalassaemia major children with intact spleen (n= 29) and a group of splenectomized beta-thalassaemia major chil...

In view of the claim that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) concentrations may contribute to the pathogenesis of bone disease in patients with 13 thalassaemia major and iron overload, we have assessed the concentrations of 25-OHD, la,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (la,25(0H)2D), parathyroid hormone, and osteocalcin in such patients. 25-OHD concentrations were significantly lower in patients with thalassa...