The Oxidant and Antioxidant Status in b-Thalassemia Major Patients

Abstract
Background: Thalassemia is associated with anemia and lifelong blood transfusion that lead to oxidant-antioxidant disturbance due to massive iron deposits with generation of labile iron in the red blood cells, which promotes the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) with cumulative cell damage.
Aim of the Work: Evaluation of Ischemia ModifiEd Albu-min (IMA) as a marker of oxidative stress and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) as a marker of antioxidant status in patients with b-Thalassemia Major (b-TM).
Subjects and Methods: Forty patients with b-TM were divided into 2 groups well chelated (group 1) and poorly chelated (group 2). Twenty healthy participants of matched age and sex were taken as controls (group 3). All patients and controls were subjected to complete history taking, clinical examination. Serum ferritin, IMA and SOD were measured.
Results: There were significant higher levels of IMA in thalassemia patients than controls (p-value <0.001*). IMA correlated significantly positive with serum ferritin (r=0.339, p-value 0.032*). There were significant lower levels of SOD in thalassemia patients than controls (p-value <0.001*). SOD correlated significantly negative with serum ferritin (r=–0.718, p-value <0.001*).
Conclusion: IMA as a new marker of oxidative stress increased in b-TM patients and SOD as a marker of antioxidant status decreased in b-TM patients.