Protein C, protein S and antithrombin III assessment in Egyptian thalassemic children

Enhanced years of survival have led to the unmasking of management related complications with the recognition of the existence of a chronic hypercoagulable state in thalassemic patients. This study aims at determining the levels of the three main antithrombophilic factors namely protein C, protein S and antithrombin III in Egyptian children with beta thalassemia major. Sixty children with beta thalassemia major with a mean age of 12.2 +/- 1.88 years and male: female ratio 1.7: 1 were enrolled in the study. They were subjected to history taking, clinical examination and laboratory investigations including levels of ferritin by IRMA, protein C, protein S, and antithromobin III by ELISA. Protein C was deficient in 16 [26.7%] of cases, protein S was deficient in 8 [13.3%] of cases while none had deficiency of antithrombin III. None of our cases had a history of thromboembolic events. These abnormalities were not related to the state of HCV infection or to the type of chelation whether oral or subcutaneous. Protein C deficiency was present more in older patients. Abnormalities in protein C, protein S are frequently observed even without manifesting hypercoagulable states in our studied thalassemia major children

Study of blood levels of glucose and insulin in Egyptian thalassemics not known to be diabetics

This study was conducted on 32 patients [19 females and 13 males] with thalassemia major aged 2-18 years [mean 11.8 years] and 10 age matched controls. They were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination, fasting and postprandial glucose levels as well as estimation of fasting and postprandial insulin levels. The results showed that fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels were significantly higher in thalassemics compared with the controls. Fasting and postprandial serum insulin levels were significantly lower in thalassemics than in the controls. The mean serum ferritin level was higher in cases with diabetic glucose levels [2597.5 ng/mL] than those with normal glucose levels [1564 ng/mL]. Two patients showed higher fasting insulin levels [9.5-14 uU/mL] than the controls [6.9-8.3 uU/mL], despite the elevated blood glucose levels indicating an insulin resistance