Peripheral blood and hemoglobin electrophoresis pattern in beta thalassemia major patients receiving repeated blood transfusion.

One hundred and fifteen beta thalassemia major outpatients attending the Thalassemia Center Department of Child Health, Medical School University of Indonesia Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for routine blood transfusion and hematology examination, participated in this study. There was a negative correlation between the size of the spleen and the peripheral blood parameters. All peripheral blood parameters tend to decrease with the enlargement of the spleen, and the condition is reversed after splenectomy. We observed that hypersplenism starts when the spleen is as big as S (V – VI). The hemoglobin electrophoresis pattern from beta thalassemia major patients receiving repeated blood transfusion did not show a dense HbF fraction, 90 patients showed a normal hemoglobin electrophoresis pattern. A hemoglobin analysis of both parents could be useful to confirm the diagnosis of beta thalassemia major for patients receiving repeated blood transfusion. In order to get a definite diagnosis, a genetic analysis by bio molecular technique is needed.

Renal impairment in  thalassemia major patients receiving repeated blood transfusion.

β-thalassemia major is a disease caused by β polypeptide chain synthesis disorder which is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner from both parents and which is marked by little or no β-globin chain synthesis. Treatment for β-thalassemia major patients is by giving repeated blood transfusions, which causes iron accumulation, leading to hemochromatosis. Iron accumulation can occur in various body organ, including the kidneys. The aim of this study was to investigate the existence of renal impairment in β-thalassemia major patients. The subjects of this study were β-thalassemia major patients aged 15 - 28 years old who had received 6 units of packed red cells or more within 6 months. In this study, urine and serum samples of the subjects were taken and examined. Assay of serum iron was performed with Hitachi 737. Results were that 94.7% patients showed an increase in transferrin saturation and 40% of them had hemochromatosis; 73.4% had microalbuminuria; 1.3% had albuminuria and 21.3% had increased urinary β2- microglobulin (β2-m). A total of 78.6% of patients showed renal impairment. Conclusion of this study suggested that glomerular dysfunction happens in an earlier stage of the disease process. The high incidence of microalbuminuria is also attributed to defective ability of the proximal tubular cells to reabsorb protein besides dysfunction of the glomeruli.