[Application of Mossbauer spectroscopy to the study of hemoglobinopathies. Preliminary experience]

37Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy has been applied to the study of iron deposits in patients with altered iron metabolism. Haematological parameters were also studied in order to analyse their relationship with Moessbauer results. Within the aim of this research, 12 samples of packed red blood cells were analysed: 6 with beta-thalassaemia major, 2 with S-beta-thalassaemia, 1 with sickle cell anaemia and 3 from normal subjects used as control for Moessbauer spectroscopy. Moessbauer spectra of 6 red blood cells samples showed that besides the two components, i.e., oxy and deoxy haemoglobin present in samples of normal subjects, appears a third component with Moessbauer parameters corresponding to ferritin-like iron. Correlation of % transferrin saturation (TS %) with ferritin-like iron (r = 0.90, p less than 0.05) as well as between TS % and the ratio ferritin-like iron/Hb iron (r = 0.91, p less than 0.05) was found. A tendency to correlation of serum ferritin (SF) with ferritin-like iron (r = 0.90, p less than 0.05) as well as between TS % and the ratio ferritin-like iron/Hb iron (r = 0.91, p less than 0.05) was found. A tendency to correlation of SF with ferritin-like iron (r = 0.78) and with the ratio ferritin-like iron/Hb iron, was also observed. It can be concluded that Moessbauer spectroscopy could be a useful technique in the study of this kind of pathology.