[Assessment of iron status in individuals with heterozygotic beta-thalassemia]

Idiopathic haemochromatosis and thalassemia are the most frequent genetic disorders associated to iron overload. In major and intermedia thalassemia patients, the iron overload is a well defined situation; however in minor thalassemia, frequently an asymptomatic disease, there is no agreement about the situation of iron storage. The best index for evaluation of the iron state is serum ferritin, because there is a correlation between its value and iron hepatic concentration. PURPOSE--Iron state was studied in a homogenous group of Brazilians with beta-thalassemia trait and the correlation between iron state and anemia severity was verified. METHODS--35 adult subjects with beta-thalassemia trait and 35 normal subjects (20 women and 15 men, aged between 20 to 54 years/group) were studied for serum iron, TIBC, serum ferritin and hemoglobin. RESULTS--The results demonstrated that in the male group of beta-thalassemia trait subjects the mean value of serum ferritin was 253.69ng/mL and in the male control group it was 107.79ng/mL (U calc < U crit). There was no statistic difference between any studied variable in female groups. There was no correlation between the iron state and the hemoglobin levels in beta-thalassemia trait subjects. CONCLUSION--The possibility of iron overload in males with beta-thalassemia trait and the necessity to follow-up those subjects with high levels of serum ferritin is suggested.