Impact of beta thalassemia on maxillary sinuses and sino-nasal passages: A case control study.

OBJECTIVES: Skeletal changes among beta (ß) thalassemia children are well documented, but without available data regarding sino-nasal passages alterations. The authors investigated the maxillary sinuses and sino-nasal passages changes in ß-thalassemia children and correlated such changes with the amount of transfused red cells and the erythroid marrow activity. METHODS: Clinical analyses including otorhinolaryngical examination (ORL) were obtained in twenty ß-thalassemia children and 20 matched healthy controls. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels and bone mineral density of the lumbar spine (BMD ls) were assayed. The two groups were analyzed for the CT image parameters: bone thickness, anterior and posterior choanae diameters, extramedullary hematopoiesis and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) RESULTS: Nasal congestion/obstruction was identified in 14 (70%) children. Eight patients (40%) had criteria of chronic rhinosinusitis. In comparison with the normal controls, the increase in the roof, floor, medial, anterior, lateral and posterior maxillary bony walls thickness was significantly higher (1.26, 2.46, 2.6, 2.9, 3.23 and 5.34-folds, respectively). The mean posterior choanae horizontal, vertical diameters and their surface area were significantly reduced in the patients compared to the controls. The mean anterior maxillary wall bone thickness directly correlated with sTfR (P=0.047) while that of the posterior wall correlated inversely with Hb level (P=0.013). The mean vertical posterior choanae diameter had positive correlation with the amount of transfused red cells (P=0.001) and negative correlation with sTfR (P=0.001). The Hounsfield unit of maxillary sinus wall had direct relation with BMDls (P=0.003) CONCLUSIONS: Thalassemia children are at risk of different folds increase of maxillary sinuses walls thicknesses utmost at posterior and lateral walls. Other sino-nasal morbidities include diminished posterior choanal diameter, nasal obstruction and CRS. Certain morbidities had relations to the erythroid marrow activity and the transfusion adequacy.

Clinical implication of thiopurine methyltransferase polymorphism in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A preliminary Egyptian study.

BACKGROUND: 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) is an essential component of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) maintenance therapy. Individual variability in this drug-related toxicity could be attributed in part to genetic polymorphism thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT). AIM: To investigate the frequency of common TPMT polymorphisms in a cohort of Egyptian children with ALL and the possible relation between these polymorphisms and 6-MP with short-term complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 25 children. Data related to 6-MP toxicity during the maintenance phase were collected from the patients' files. DNA was isolated and genotyping for TPMT G460A, and A719G mutations were performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS: Twenty (80%) of the included 25 patients had a polymorphic TPMT allele. TPMT*3A was the most frequent (14/25, 56%), 8 patients were homozygous and 6 were heterozygous. TPMT*3C mutant allele was found in 4 patients (16%) in the heterozygous state while 2 patients (8%) were found to be heterozygous for TPMT*3B mutant allele. TPMT mutant patients, especially homozygous, were at greater risk of 6-MP hematological toxicity without significant difference regarding hepatic toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: TPMT polymorphism was common among the studied group and was associated with increased risk of drug toxicity. A population-based multi-center study is required to confirm our results.