Clinico-Hematological Profile and Management of Children With Non-Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia (NTDT) at a Pediatric Center in Northern India

Objective: To study the clinico-hematological profile, complications, and management of children with non-transfusion dependent thalassemia (NTDT) in northern India. Method: We retrieved and analyzed the data of 69 children with NTDT diagnosed between January, 2006 to December, 2018, aged under 18 years from our unit’s records. Result: The participants mean (SD) age was 4.4 (3.1) years, and they presented with anemia (29%), jaundice (13%), hemolytic facies (13%), splenomegaly (87%), thromboembolism (2.9%) and pathological short stature (28.5%). The most common cause of NTDT was ?-thalassemia (45%), followed by either compound-heterozygous or homozygous for E?-thalassemia mutation. The most frequent single genotype observed was compound heterozygous for IVS1-5 (G>C) and codon 26 (G>A). The mean (SD) follow-up duration was 3.5 (2.4) years. On follow-up, 27 children (%) remained transfusion free, and 30 (%) needed occasional transfusions. 63% of patients initially presenting with pathological short stature showed improvement in growth. Amongst children older than 10 years (n=20), subclinical hypothyroidism was detected in 6 children and impaired glucose tolerance test in 1 child. Conclusion: Eß-thalassemia was the commonest cause of NTDT in this population.

Trasplante cardíaco por hemocromatosis. Caso pediátrico / Cardiac transplantation due to hemochromatosis. A pediatric case report

La hemocromatosis es una enfermedad caracterizada por el excesivo depósito de hierro en múltiples órganos, entre ellos hígado, páncreas, piel y corazón. La infiltración de este último es un importante factor en morbilidad y mortalidad. Presentamos un caso de un paciente pediátrico con insuficiencia cardíaca terminal que ameritó trasplante cardíaco, que resultó sin complicaciones. Posterior a la cirugía, mostró mejoría bioquímica y clínica, lo que influyó positivamente en su calidad de vida y prolongó su supervivencia.

Hemochromatosis is a disease characterized by excess iron stores in multiple organs, including the liver, pancreas, skin, and heart. The infiltration of the heart is an important factor in morbidity and mortality. Here we describe the case of a pediatric patient with end-stage heart failure who required a heart transplantation, with no complications. After the surgery, she showed biochemical and clinical improvement, with a positive impact on her quality of life and a prolonged survival.

Iron profile of pregnant sickle cell anemia patients in Odisha, India

ABSTRACT Introduction: During pregnancy, the iron requirement increases to meet the optimal growth of the fetus and prevent iron deficiency anemia-related complications in the mother. However, in sickle cell disease (SCD) primarily due to repeated blood transfusions and hemolysis-induced recycling of iron, its supplementation during pregnancy remains questionable and may be harmful. Methods: Twenty-five pregnant women with homozygous SCD and 25 pregnant women with normal hemoglobin variants were included as cases and control, respectively. Pregnancy and sickle cell anemia (SCA) were diagnosed using standard protocols. The serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), percentage transferrin saturation and C-reactive protein were estimated, as per the manufacturer's protocol. The complete blood count was performed. The unpaired 't-test' was performed using the SPSS v23.0 and the principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using the online software MetaboAnalyst for statistical analysis. Main Results: The studied cases had significantly lower mean hemoglobin and higher mean corpuscular volume (MCV), compared to controls. The mean serum-iron, serum-ferritin and percentage transferrin-saturation in the cases were significantly higher than that of the controls, while the TIBC was lower in the cases (p < 0.0001). The mean level of serum iron, ferritin, percentage transferrin saturation and TIBC were 309.44 ± 122.40mcg/dl, 860.36 ± 624.64ng/ml, 42.6 ± 17.30% and 241.32 ± 96.30 mcg/dl, respectively, in the cases and 95.36 ± 41.90mcg/dl, 122.28 ± 49.70ng/ml, 15.83 ± 3.10% and 492.6 ± 149.40mcg/dl in the controls, respectively. Higher MCV, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) with lower hemoglobin (Hb) were noted in the cases. The PCA revealed that the cases were more heterogeneous in terms of the variability of the iron status and hematological indices than the controls. Conclusion: The current study shows iron sufficiency in most cases of pregnancy with SCA and suggests that evaluation of iron status must be made before initiating iron prophylaxis in pregnant women with SCA, especially in regions having a high prevalence of sickle cell hemoglobinopathy.

Cardiac iron overload evaluation in thalassaemic patients using T2* magnetic resonance imaging following chelation therapy: a multicentre cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2* technique is used to assess iron overload in the heart, liver and pancreas of thalassaemic patients. Optimal iron chelation and expected tissue iron response rates remain under investigation. The objective of this study was to analyse serum ferritin and the iron concentration in the heart, liver and pancreas measured by MRI T2*/R2* during regular chelation therapy in a real-world cohort of patients with thalassemia. Methods We evaluated thalassaemic patients ≥ 7 years old undergoing chelation/transfusion therapy by MRI and assessed serum ferritin at baseline and follow-up from 2004-2011. Results We evaluated 136 patients, 92% major thalassaemic, with a median age of 18 years, and median baseline ferritin 2.033ng/ml (range: 59-14,123). Iron overload distribution was: liver (99%), pancreas (74%) and heart (36%). After a median of 1.2 years of follow-up, the iron overload in the myocardium reduced from 2,63 Fe mg/g to 2,05 (p 0.003). The optimal R2* pancreas cut-off was 148 Hertz, achieving 78% sensitivity and 73% specificity. However, when combining the R2* pancreas cut off ≤ 50 Hertz and a ferritin ≤ 1222 ng/ml, we could reach a negative predictive value (NPV) of 98% for cardiac siderosis. Only 28% were undergoing combined chelation at baseline assessment, which increased up to 50% on follow up evaluation. Conclusions Chelation therapy significantly reduced cardiac siderosis in thalassaemic patients. In patients with moderate/severe liver iron concentration undergoing chelation therapy, ferritin levels and myocardium iron improved earlier than the liver siderosis.

Recognition of Iron Overload Cardiomyopathy / 罕见病研究

Iron overload cardiomyopathy (IOC) is a type of cardiac dysfunction caused by several factors resulting in iron overload in the myocardium. Two major causes of IOC include hereditary hemochromatosis and transfusion-dependent anemia. IOC significantly reduces long-term survival of patients. Since IOC is a rare disease in Asian populations that also lacks etiology-specific manifestations, early diagnoses in clinical practice are challenging. Two groups of patients with high risk of IOC should be further investigated: those who present heart failure of unknown origin will be screened for iron overload followed by confirmation of IOC; and those who have high risk of iron overload or an established diagnosis will be monitored for the development of IOC. Serum ferritin is recommended as the first-line screening test for iron overload, while cardiac magnetic resonance T2* should be used to confirm iron overload in the myocardium. Phlebotomy and iron chelating agents can effectively remove the extra iron from the body, preventing IOC, as well as reverse the disease at an early stage and slow down its progession. Timely diagnosis and treatment is critical in improving the prognosis of patients with IOC. Therefore, this review aims to help clinicians to understand IOC in multiple dimensions including pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods and treatment choices.

Research progress on the role and mechanism of ferroptosis in renal fibrosis / 中华肾脏病杂志

Ferroptosis is a recently identified type of non-apoptotic cell death, mainly caused by disruption of cellular metabolic pathways such as iron metabolism and reactive oxygen species metabolism, characterized by intracellular iron overload and reactive oxygen species accumulation leading to lipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis is closely related to renal diseases. The role of ferroptosis in diseases such as acute kidney injury and renal cell carcinoma has been extensively studied, and new discoveries and advances have been made in its relationship with renal fibrosis. The paper systematically reviews the relationship between ferroptosis and renal fibrosis in terms of the latest regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis and its role in renal fibrosis, and explores the potential clinical application of targeted inhibition of ferroptosis to prevent renal fibrosis.

Hiperferritinemia y sospecha de sobrecarga de hierro en pacientes del Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe, entre los años 2010 a 2020 / Hyperferritinemia and suspected iron overload in patients at the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, between 2010 and 2020

Introducción. El objetivo de esta investigación fue comparar el perfil bioquímico y clínico de los pacientes con hiperferritinemia secundaria a hemocromatosis hereditaria (HH), frente a aquellos con hiperferritinemia por causas sospechosas de sobrecarga de hierro (Fe) diferentes a la HH. Metodología. Se estudiaron 92 pacientes (61 hombres y 31 mujeres), remitidos tras la detección de valores de ferritina >300 µg/L en hombres y >200 µg/L en mujeres. En todos se analizaron datos demográficos generales, comorbilidades, motivo de remisión para estudios de hiperferritinemia, manifestaciones clínicas, antecedente familiar de HH y tratamiento reci-bido. Los resultados de las pruebas de laboratorio, imagenología, hallazgos histopatológicos y estudios genéticos, se describieron según la disponibilidad. Resultados. El 96,74 % de los pacientes fueron evaluados en consulta externa, 86,96 % procedían de Medellín o de otros municipios de Antioquia, Colombia. La edad promedio de los participantes fue de 52 años, la principal razón para ser derivados para estudios fue la elevación de los marcadores de Fe sérico, la causa más frecuente de hiperferritinemia fueron los diagnósticos diferentes a la HH (64,13 %) y entre quienes no tenían HH, la etiología metabólica fue la más común (59,32 %). Los pacientes con HH tuvieron niveles más elevados de ferritina y Fe sérico, mientras que en el grupo sin HH se presentaron mayores elevaciones en la saturación de transferrina, transfe-rrina y transaminasas. En pacientes con sobrecarga de Fe, la mutación más frecuentemente encontrada fue la homocigota H63D (36,67 %). Finalmente, 93,94 % de los pacientes con HH recibieron tratamiento con flebotomías, mientras que los cambios en el estilo de vida fueron indicados en el 55,93 % de los pacientes sin HH. Conclusiones. La hiperferritinemia es una presentación clínica frecuente y es importante hacer un abordaje sistemático para identificar sus causas. Aunque la HH es una causa importante de elevación persistente de ferritina, en el enfoque de los pacientes con esta condición, se deben descartar etiologías más frecuentes como la hiperferritinemia de etiología metabólica.

Introduction. The aim of this investigation was to compare the biochemical and clinical profile of patients with secondary hyperferritinemia caused by hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), versus those with hyperferritinemia due to suspected causes of iron (Fe) overload other than HH. Methodology. A total of 92 patients (61 men and 31 women) referred after the detection of ferritin values >300 µg/L in men and >200 µg/L in women were studied. General demographic data, comorbidities, referral reasons for hyperferritinemia studies, clinical manifestations, family history of HH, and treatment received were analyzed in all patients. The results of laboratory tests, medical imaging, histopatho-logical findings, and genetic studies were described based on availability. Results. Of all patients, 96.74% were evaluated as outpatients, 86,96% from the municipality of Medellin in Antioquia, Colombia. The average age of the participants was 52 years, the main reason for being referred for studies was the elevation of serum Fe markers, the most frequent cause of hyperferritinemia in the population studied were conditions other than HH (64.13%), and among those who did not have HH, the metabolic etiology was the most common cause (60%). Patients with HH had higher levels of ferritin and serum Fe, while in the group without HH there were greater elevations of transferrin saturation, transferrin and transaminases. In patients with iron overload, the most frequently found mutation was the homozygous H63D (36.67%). Finally, 93.94% of the patients with HH received phlebotomy treatment, while changes in lifestyle were indicated in 55.93% of patients without HH. Conclusions. Hyperferritinemia is a frequent clinical presentation and it is important to make a systematic approach to identify its causes. Although HH is an important cause of persistent ferritin elevation, in the approach to patients with this condition, more frequent etiologies such as hyperfe-rritinemia of metabolic etiology should be ruled out.

Correlation of Transient Elastography With MRI T2* and Serum Ferritin Levels in Children With Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia

Objectives: We investigated the correlation of transient elastography (TE) with MRI R2* values and serum ferritin in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) Methods: We reviewed hospital records of 59 patients with TDT aged ?8 years without any evidence of chronic liver disease and who had fibroscan within 3 months of MRI T2*, who seen at our center between January, 2014 and December, 2019. Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were used to evaluate the correlation between TE liver stiffness measurements and R2* MRI values and with serum ferritin. Results: Mean (SD) age of the subjects was 13.0 (3.1) years and body mass index was 16.6 (2.3) kg/m2. Mean liver stiffness measurement, MRI T2*(3T), corresponding MRI R2*(3T), and ferritin values were 6.55 (3.10) kPa, 3.4 (4.6) milliseconds, 616.20 (383.9) Hz, and 2874.69 (1570.7) ng/ mL, respectively. TE measurements correlated with MRI R2* values (r=0.61; P=0.001) and with serum ferritin level (r=0.59, P=0.001). Conclusion: TE is a reliable tool to estimate hepatic iron overload in patients with TDT.

Mucormycosis and Its Co-Relation with Raised Ferritin Levels

Background: Mucormycosis has emerged as an epidemic within the COVID-19 pandemic due to widespread use of corticosteroids and immune-modulators like Tocilizumab, in the management of COVID-19 pneumonia. It is an invasive fungal disease which spreads by angioinvasion and rapidly spreads to adjacent tissues. If untreated its outcomes are dangerous and often fatal. Uncontrolled diabetes, malignancies and dialysis are predisposing factors. Raised blood iron is an important factor in pathogenesis and rapid progression of fungal invasion that needs to be investigated. Aim: To establish a correlation between raised serum ferritin level and aggressiveness of Mucormycosis. Methodology: Aretrospective study was done from February 2021 to February 2022 of patients diagnosed with mucormycosis by middle meatal biopsy and microscopy along with CT& MRI scan of PNS with brain. They were treated either surgically or conservatively. All the blood parameters including serum ferritin level, were carried out. Acomparison was done on extent of disease in patients in-relation to their serum ferritin level. Results: Our study suggested that higher levels of ferritin are often associated with aggressive form the disease. Zygomycetes are dependent on environmental iron for their growth. Higher the serum ferritin level, more aggressive & widespread is mucormycosis. Conclusion: Serum free iron aggravates mucormycosis. Measures should take to control the serum ferritin in patients under risk for mucormycosis. Iron chelating agents or novel methods like anti-ftr1 immune serum should be developed for controlling the disease at its earlier stages

A rare case of bronze diabetes in a patient with thalassemia

Secondary haemochromatosis (also known as bronze diabetes) is a perilous medical condition that can occur as a complication of frequent blood transfusions. Thalassemia major which occurs due to a decrease in the beta globulin chain can lead to severe anemia, extramedullary hematopoiesis and splenomegaly. Becauseof this, the affected patients requiredcontinuous blood transfusions throughout their life and as a consequence, it may lead to iron overload. A 26-year-old male presented with a complaint of darkening skin, joint pain and fever. He was a known case of thalassemia major and was undergoing blood transfusions three times a week. Further laboratory findings revealed decreased hemoglobin, abnormal liver function tests and increased blood glucose levels. The patient was managed with IV insulin and chelation therapy. The patient responded to treatment and was better on subsequent follow-up. The diagnostic and therapeutic challenges along with the epidemiological dataemphasize the need of raising the awareness of physicians to this devastating condition.

HFE hemochromatosis: an overview about therapeutic recommendations

Abstract Hemochromatosis is currently characterized by the iron overload caused by hepcidin deficiency. Large advances in the knowledge on the hemochromatosis pathophysiology have occurred due to a better understanding of the protein of the iron metabolism, the genetic basis of hemochromatosis and of other iron overload diseases or conditions which can lead to this phenotype. In the present review, the main aims are to show updates on hemochromatosis and to report a practical set of therapeutic recommendations for the human factors engineering protein (HFE) hemochromatosis for the p.Cys282Tyr (C282Y/C282Y) homozygous genotype, elaborated by the Haemochromatosis International Taskforce.

Luteoloside protects the vascular endothelium against iron overload injury via the ROS/ADMA/DDAH II/eNOS/NO pathway / 中国天然药物

Iron overload injury is considered to be a part of blood stasis syndrome of arthralgia in traditional Chinese medicine. Its primary therapies include clearing heat and detoxification, activating blood circulation, and removing blood stasis. Lonicera japonica flos (LJF) has long been known as an excellent antipyretic and antidote. Luteoloside (Lut) is one of the main components of LJF and exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties. However, the protection of Lut against iron overload injury and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, HUVECs were exposed to 50 μmol·L-1 iron dextran for 48 h to establish an iron overload damage model and the effects of Lut were assessed. Our results showed that 20 μmol·L-1 Lut not only increased cell viability and weakened LDH activity, but also significantly up-regulated DDAHⅡ expression and activity, increased p-eNOS/eNOS ratio and NO content, and reduced ADMA content in HUVECs exposed to iron overload. Furthermore, Lut significantly attenuated intracellular/mitochondrial ROS generation, improved SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities, reduced MDA content, maintained MMP, inhibited mPTP opening, prevented cyt c from mitochondria released into cytoplasm, reduced cleaved-caspase3 expression, and ultimately decreased cell apoptosis induced by iron overload. The effects of Lut were similar to those of L-arginine (an ADMA competitive substrate), cyclosporin A (a mPTP blocker agent), and edaravone (a free radical scavenger) as positive controls. However, addition of pAD/DDAH II-shRNA adenovirus reversed the above beneficial effects of Lut. In conclusion, Lut can protect HUVECs against iron overload injury via the ROS/ADMA/DDAH II/eNOS/NO pathway. The mitochondria are the target organelles of Lut's protective effects.

Deferasirox for the treatment of iron overload in thalassemia ：a rapid health technology assessment / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To eval uate the effectiveness ，safety and economy of deferasir ox for the treatment of iron overload in thalassemia with rapid health technology assessment ，and to provide evidence-based basis for rational clinical use. METHODS Retrieved from Chinese and English database/website as PubMed ，Embase，Cochrane Library ，NHS EED ，CADTH，CNKI and Wanfang database ，health technology assessment （HTA），systematic evaluation/meta-analysis and pharmacological studies about deferasirox versus deferoxamine/deferiprone for the treatment of iron overload in thalassemia were collected from the inception to June 2021. Based on literature screening and data extraction ，the quality of literature about HTA reports ，systematic evaluation/ Meta-analysis and pharmacoeconomic research were evaluated with HTA checklist ，A Measurement Tool to As sess Systematic Reviews，standard scale of economic evaluation report. The effectiveness and safety results were described quantitatively ，and the economic evaluation results were described qualitatively. RESULTS One HTA report ，five systematic evaluation/meta-analysis and five pharmacoeconomic studies were selected from 1 569 literature. Included HTA reports ， systematic evaluation/meta-analysis，pharmacoeconomic studies were high in quality. Most studies reported that 30 mg/（kg·d） deferasirox was E-mail：aydgs@126.com better than deferoxamine in reducing the levels of s erum ferritin and liver iron overload ；ADR induced by deferasirox were mainly gastrointestinal irritation symptoms ，skin itching ，joint pain，transaminase elevation ，etc.，which generally did not affect subsequent treatment. There was no statistical significance in severe ADR between deferoxamine group and deferasirox group [RR ＝0.96，95％CI（0.85，1.08），P＝0.52]. Compared with deferoxamine，deferasirox had higher cost-effectiveness ；but deferasirox was less likely to be cost-effective than deferiprone. CONCLUSIONS Deferasirox has good effectiveness and safety for iron overload in thalassemia ，and has good economic advantages in Britain and Iran ，compared with deferoxamine.

Influencing factors of iron metabolism assessment in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome: A retrospective study / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To analyze the influencing factors of iron metabolism assessment in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. Methods: MRI and/or DECT were used to detect liver and cardiac iron content in 181 patients with MDS, among whom, 41 received regular iron chelation therapy during two examinations. The adjusted ferritin (ASF) , erythropoietin (EPO) , cardiac function, liver transaminase, hepatitis antibody, and peripheral blood T cell polarization were detected and the results of myelofibrosis, splenomegaly, and cyclosporine were collected and comparative analyzed in patients. Results: We observed a positive correlation between liver iron concentration and ASF both in the MRI group and DECT groups (r=0.512 and 0.606, respectively, P<0.001) , only a weak correlation between the heart iron concentration and ASF in the MRI group (r=0.303, P<0.001) , and no significant correlation between cardiac iron concentration and ASF in the DECT group (r=0.231, P=0.053) . Moreover, transfusion dependence in liver and cardiac [MRI group was significantly associated with the concentration of iron in: LIC: (28.370±10.706) mg/g vs (7.593±3.508) mg/g, t=24.30, P<0.001; MIC: 1.81 vs 0.95, z=2.625, P<0.05; DECT group: liver VIC: (4.269±1.258) g/L vs (1.078±0.383) g/L, t=23.14, P<0.001: cardiac VIC: 1.69 vs 0.68, z=3.142, P<0.05]. The concentration of EPO in the severe iron overload group was significantly higher than that in the mild to moderate iron overload group and normal group (P<0.001) . Compared to the low-risk MDS group, the liver iron concentration in patients with MDS with cyclic sideroblasts (MDS-RS) was significantly elevated [DECT group: 3.80 (1.97, 5.51) g/L vs 1.66 (0.67, 2.94) g/L, P=0.004; MRI group: 13.7 (8.1,29.1) mg/g vs 11.6 (7.1,21.1) mg/g, P=0.032]. Factors including age, bone marrow fibrosis, splenomegaly, T cell polarization, use of cyclosporine A, liver aminotransferase, and hepatitis antibody positive had no obvious effect on iron metabolism. Conclusion: There was a positive correlation between liver iron concentration and ASF in patients with MDS, whereas there was no significant correlation between cardiac iron concentration and ASF. Iron metabolism was affected by transfusion dependence, EPO concentration, and RS.

Construction and mechanism of dry eye model in mice with ocular surface iron overload / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To establish a dry eye mouse model of iron overload by intraperitoneal injection of iron dextran and preliminarily explore its possible mechanism.METHODS: A total of 40 male C57BL/6 mice(taking the right eye as the experimental eye)were divided into 4 groups by random number table method: There were 10 mice in the control group, each time by intraperitoneal injection of 0.2mL of normal saline; Low-dose group, middle-dose group and high-dose iron group with 10 mice in each group were the model group. Each time, 0.2mL of iron dextran solution with concentrations of 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/mL was injected intraperitoneally. One injection 3d for a total of 28d. We observed the ocular surface inflammation index, corneal fluorescein staining, tear break-up time(BUT)and Schimer I test(SIt)on the 7, 14 and 28d after injection and evaluated the degree of dry eye and ocular surface inflammation. After 28d, the mice were sacrificed for cornea, conjunctiva and lacrimal glands tissue for HE staining, Prussian blue staining and tissue iron detection, to evaluate the inflammatory reaction and iron overload. The expression of inflammatory factors interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and matrix metallo proteinase-9(MMP-9)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the mice in the model group showed a series of dry eye symptoms, the inflammation index of ocular surface in mice were increased, the score of corneal fluorescein staining increased, the BUT shortened and the amount of tear secretion decreased(all P&#x003C;0.05). The cornea, conjunctiva and lacrimal gland tissues of the mice were damaged to varying degrees, the iron deposition on the eye surface of the model group was more serious than that of the control group, and the iron content of the tissue was significantly increased than the control group(all P&#x003C;0.01). The contents of inflammatory factors(IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-9)in the cornea, conjunctiva and lacrimal gland tissue of the mice in the model group were significantly higher than those of the control group(all P&#x003C;0.01). With the increase of injection time and concentration of iron dextran, the degree of dry eye and ocular surface inflammation in mice gradually increased. CONCLUSION: The mouse iron overload dry eye model was successfully established by intraperitoneal injection of iron dextran, the mechanism may be related to the ocular surface inflammation aggravated by iron overload.

Research progress of iron metabolism and its mechanism in the treatment of heart failure / 药学学报

The pathogenesis of heart failure is a complex progression and associated with abnormal regulation of many signaling pathways. As a cofactor of hemoglobin, myoglobin, oxidative respiratory chain, DNA synthase and other important proteins, iron plays an indispensable role in myocardial energy metabolism. Recently, a large number of studies have shown that heart failure is related to the disorder of iron metabolism. Both iron deficiency and iron overload can lead to the development of a variety of cardiomyopathy, and even progress to heart failure. Iron metabolism could be a key target for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart failure. Here, we review the basic process of iron metabolism and its mechanism in heart failure, expecting to provide new clues and evidence for the treatment of heart failure.

Hereditary haemochromatosis presenting as diabetes and complicated with abnormal liver function, hypogonadism, osteoporosis: a case report / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Hereditary hemochromatosis(HH) is relatively rare in the Chinese population, and the disease can involve multiple systems. It is easy to be missed and misdiagnosed due to nonspecific clinical manifestations. We report on a case with diabetes as the first diagnosis and being confirmed HH later. In addition to abnormal liver function, this patient also developed a variety of endocrine and metabolic diseases such as hypogonadism and osteoporosis. Included with this case report is a literature based discussion of clinical features, management of HH along with its relationship with endocrine dysfunction to improve disease understanding.

Effects of apelin-13 on ferroptosis of the C2C12 skeletal muscle cell line in a high-iron environment / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To examine the effects of apelin-13 on ferroptosis of the C2C12 skeletal muscle cell line induced by a high-iron environment and explore potential underlying mechanisms.Methods:C2C12 cells were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium(DMEM)and divided into a control group, a ferric citrate(FAC)group, an apelin-13 group, an FAC+ apelin-13 group, a ferroptosis inducer RSL3 group and an FAC+ apelin-13+ RSL3 group.Cell viability was detected by the 3-(4, 5-dimethyl thiazole-2)-2, 5-diphenyl thiazolyl blue(MTT)assay.The intracellular concentrations of total iron and divalent iron were measured by colorimetry; the levels of glutathione(GSH), malondialdehyde(MDA)and intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)in cells were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, visible spectrophotometry and a chemifluorescence method, respectively.The ultrastructure of C2C12 cells was examined by transmission electron microscopy.The protein expression of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX-4), ferritin heavy chain 1(FTH-1), heme oxygenase 1(HO-1)and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf-2), were detected by Western blotting.Results:Compared with the FAC group, the FAC+ Apelin-13 group had significantly elevated cell viability(optical density: 0.52±0.06 vs.0.28±0.04, t=7.837, P=0.007)and higher concentrations of GSH(2.41±0.35 vs.0.91±0.12 μmol/g Pro, t=9.778, P=0.003), but significantly decreased levels of ROS(22.06±5.79 vs.52.71±7.28 a. u./mg Pro, t=8.064, P=0.006), MDA(4.63±0.51 vs.9.11±0.84 mmol/mg Pro, t=8.642, P=0.006), total iron(1.53±0.24 vs.3.17±0.55 μmol/g Pro, t=6.135, P=0.013)and divalent iron(0.75±0.08 vs.1.94±0.36 μmol/g Pro, t=5.068, P=0.027), as well as reduced intracellular iron deposition.In the control group and the apelin-13 group, the morphology of the mitochondria was clear and normal.In contrast, the mitochondria in the FAC group had increased membrane density, membrane shrinkage and rupture, vacuolar degeneration, and obvious mitochondrial damage, which were consistent with the morphological characteristics of ferroptosis.Compared with the FAC group, the FAC+ apelin-13 group showed significant improvement in mitochondrial damage.Moreover, compared with the FAC+ apelin-13 group, the cell viability of the FAC+ apelin-13+ RSL3 group was significantly decreased(optical density: 0.23±0.04 vs.0.48±0.06, t=7.642, P=0.007). Compared with the FAC group, the FAC+ apelin-13 group had significantly up-regulated cellular expression of GPX-4(relative expression: 0.96±0.14 vs.0.31±0.07, t=7.712, P=0.008), FTH-1(0.57±0.08 vs.0.27±0.05, t=6.944, P=0.011), and HO-1(0.49±0.07 vs.0.28±0.05, t=6.472, P=0.012), as well as increased nuclear expression of Nrf-2(relative expression: 0.42±0.04 vs.0.19±0.05, t=7.114, P=0.008)with a higher ratio of nuclear expression over total cellular expression[(58.36±5.24)% vs.(36.58±5.32)%, t=5.858, P=0.015]and a higher level of HO-1 protein expression(relative expression: 0.49±0.07 vs.0.28±0.05, t=6.472, P=0.012). Conclusions:Apelin-13 inhibits ferroptosis induced by a high iron environment in C2C12 cells, and the underlying molecular mechanisms may be related to the Nrf-2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Brazilian family with hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome: case report

ABSTRACT Hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disease caused by a genetic mutation in the iron responsive element in the 5' untranslated region of the ferritin light chain gene. Hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome is characterized by elevated serum ferritin levels and bilateral cataract development early in life and may be misdiagnosed as hemochromatosis. This case report describes a Brazilian family with a clinical diagnosis of hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome, which was submitted to ferritin light chain gene sequencing. The genetic mutation c.-164C>G was identified in the 5' untranslated region. In conclusion, genetic testing can be used for accurate diagnosis of hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome to avoid misdiagnosis of hemochromatosis, other diseases associated with iron overload or ophthalmic diseases.

Efficacy of "Bushen Huoxue" therapy in patients with transfusion related iron overload in chronic aplastic anemia / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To explore the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) therapy in patients with transfusion related iron overload diagnosed with chronic aplastic anemia (CAA). 【Methods】 A total of 115 patients with CAA and iron overload who had been admitted to Zhejiang Provincal Hospital of TCM from February 2015 to December 2016 were studied. They were assigned to treatment group(n=69), positive control group(n=16), and negative control group(n=30) according to different treatment plan designed in advance. Patients in the treatment group were treated with TCM of "Bushen Huoxue" recipe once a day, with the formula mixed with astragalus 40 g, rehmannia 12 g, cornus 12 g, deerhorn glue melting by heat 12 g, atractylodes 20 g, radix paeoniae alba 20 g, curculigo orchioides 10 g, herba epimedii 10 g, cistanche 12 g, cassia stem 10 g, dried orange peel 8 g, poria 10, gingembre 6 g, angelica sinensis 20 g, salvia miltiorrhiza 20 g, zedoary 9 g, leonurus 30 g, gromwell 15 g, and prepared liquorice root 6 g. Patients in positive control group were treated with desferrioxamine for more than 8 h per day, 5 to 7 days per week. Patients in negative control group were treated with basic treatment.The serum ferritin (SF) and cytokines of patients of the three groups before and 3 months after therapy were detected according to the blood-stasis of TCM symptom rating scale, and the correlation between the decrease of ferritin after treatment and the improvement of blood stasis syndrome score was analyzed. 【Results】 The level of SF of the treatment group, positive and negative control group before treatment were 1 881.63±1 386.81 vs 6 581.36±5 180.96 vs1 974.25±1 753.06, and were 2 040.14±1 484.27 vs 4 169.18±3 631.64(P<0.05)vs 2 699.80±2 352.34(P<0.05) 3 months after treatment. The treatment was effctive in 16 patients in treatment group, accounted for 23.19%(16/69). The score of blood stasis syndrome of the three groups before and after treatment were 4.26±1.45vs 6.88±1.31 vs 4.17±1.18 and 4.42±1.43 vs 5.00±0.89 vs 4.67±1.51(P<0.01), respectively. The effective rate of improving blood stasis syndrome score in the treatment group was up to 26.09%. The decrease of serum ferritin was positively correlated with the improvement of blood stasis score (P < 0.01). The levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in treatment group were 20.79±14.14 and 56.27±25.54 before treatment, 13.00±6.48 and 41.02±9.93(P<0.05)3 months after treatment, respectively. 【Conclusion】 "Bushen Huoxue" therapy can stabilize the the level of SF and improve the blood stasis syndrome in CAA patients with iron overload.