Gall bladder contractility in children with beta-thalassaemia

We studied gall bladder contractility in 61 children with beta-thalassaemia who were asymptomatic for gall bladder disease and 51 sex- and age-matched controls in Cairo, Egypt, using real-time ultrasonography. Multiple gall bladder stones were present in 18.0% of thalassaemia patients and sludge in 6.6%. There were statistically significant differences between thalassaemia patients and controls in gall bladder fasting volume, residual volume, emptying time and contraction index. There was significant positive correlation between fasting and residual volumes and age, weight and height, and between fasting volume and body mass index and serum ferritin level. Contraction index was negatively correlated with serum total bilirubin. Impaired gall bladder motility was evident in patients with betathalassaemia and it may be related to disease duration, serum ferritin and total serum bilirubin level

Malnutrition and growth abnormalities among Egyptian children with beta-thalassemia major

Abnormal growth is a common feature among patients suffering from beta-thalassemia major. To study the relation between growth abnormalities and nutrient deficiencies, the nutritional status of 63 thalassemic children [2-18 years] were assessed by anthropometry and biochemistry, compared to 63 age and sex matched controls. The results revealed that the mean body mass index was significantly lower among thalassemic children compared to the control, P< 0.05. Nearly one fifth of all thalassemic children were underweight, and one third were stunted. Serum levels of alpha-tocopherol, retinol and zinc, selenium, and copper levels were significantly decreased among thalassemic children compared to the control. older age [10-18] and female sex suffered more from deterioration of nutritional status

Antioxidant micronutrients in children with thalassaemia in Egypt

Repeated blood transfusions in patients with thalassaemia subject them to peroxidative tissue injury by secondary iron overload. To study the relationship between iron overload and antioxidant micronutrient status among children with thalassaemia, we measured serum levels of vitamins A and E, zinc, selenium, and copper in 64 children with beta-thalassaemia major and 63 age- and sex-matched controls. All of these elements were significantly lower in the thalassaemic children compared with controls. There was a highly significant inverse correlation between serum ferritin and serum retinol levels, and significant inverse correlations between serum iron and retinol and between serum iron and selenium. Serum ferritin showed a significant positive correlation with duration of chelation and transfusion treatments. Ways are needed to counteract this oxidative damage and its deleterious effect on the prognosis of thalassaemia