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The high prevalence of microcytosis (defined here as mean cell haemoglobin27 pg) with no other abnormality is a principal cause of confusion in screening for haemoglobin disorders. Here we report the results of a small pilot study aiming to resolve this confusion by routinely proceeding to plasma ferritin and HPLC assay, using the original sequestrene blood sample, when microcytosis is detected. Participants comprised a random sample of 1,302 people referred for a full blood count by their General Practitioner (GP) to the laboratory of a North London district general hospital serving a multi-ethnic inner-city population. Ethnicity was established by questionnaire. In North Europeans, microcytosis was present in 3% of males (half were iron-deficient) and 11% of females (most were iron-deficient). Among ethnic minorities, microcytosis was present in 35% of males (one tenth were iron-deficient), and 45% of females (less than half were iron-deficient): an exclusion diagnosis of "probable alpha thalassaemia" could be made in the remainder. We conclude that when microcytosis is present, routine further analysis of the original sequestrene sample by plasma ferritin assay and haemoglobinopathy screening could lead to a more efficient and cost-effective laboratory service for primary care and maternity services.

Purpose To use cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques to examine possible causes for the left ventricular (LV) dilatation that occurs in sickle cell disease (SCD), including the effects of chronic anemia, iron-induced cardiomyopathy, and regional fibrosis due to sludge infarcts that occur during sickle crises. Materials and Methods A total of 47 patients with sickle cell anemia were assessed for LV function and myocardial iron levels using CMR measurements; 30 of these were also assessed for regional fibrosis using late gadolinium-enhancement CMR. The LV function was compared to both normal controls and transfusion dependent non-iron-loaded (NIL) thalassemia major (TM) patients. Results Only one SCD patient had significant myocardial iron loading, and only two patients had regional fibrosis. There were significant differences in ventricular volumes of the sickle patients compared with both the normal controls and the NIL-TM population (P < 0.01). Conclusion The LV changes seen in SCD are partly the result of a chronic anemia but there appears to be another contributory factor. This extra factor is not myocardial iron loading or regional fibrosis, although a homogenous fibrotic disorder affecting the left ventricle cannot be excluded. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007;26:564–568. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Purpose To compare left ventricular (LV) diastolic function with myocardial iron levels in beta thalassemia major (TM) patients, using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Materials and Methods We studied 67 regularly transfused patients with TM and 22 controls matched for age, gender, and body surface area. The early peak filling rate (EPFR) and atrial peak filling rate (APFR) were determined from high-temporal-resolution ventricular volume-time curves. Myocardial iron estimation was achieved using myocardial T2* measurements. Results Myocardial iron loading was found in 46 TM patients (69%), in whom the EPFR correlated poorly with T2* (r = −0.20, P = 0.19). The APFR (r = 0.49, P < 0.001) and EPFR/APFR ratio (r = −0.62, P < 0.001) correlated better with T2*. The sensitivity of the diastolic parameters for detecting myocardial iron loading ranged from 4% (EPFR and APFR) to 17% (EPFR/APFR ratio). Conclusion Myocardial iron overload results in diastolic myocardial dysfunction, but low sensitivity limits the use of a single estimation for early detection of iron overload, for which T2* has a superior categorical limit of normality. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005;22:229–233. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Heart failure from iron overload causes 71% of deaths in thalassaemia major, yet reversal of siderotic cardiomyopathy has been reported. In order to determine the changes in myocardial iron during treatment, we prospectively followed thalassaemia patients commencing intravenous desferrioxamine for iron-induced cardiomyopathy during a 12-month period. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance assessments were performed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months of treatment, and included left ventricular (LV) function and myocardial and liver T2*, which is inversely related to iron concentration. One patient died. The six survivors showed progressive improvements in myocardial T2* (5.1 +/- 1.9 to 8.1 +/- 2.8 ms, P = 0.003), liver iron (9.6 +/- 4.3 to 2.1 +/- 1.5 mg/g, P = 0.001), LV ejection fraction (52 +/- 7.1% to 63 +/- 6.4%, P = 0.03), LV volumes (end diastolic volume index 115 +/- 17 to 96 +/- 3 ml, P = 0.03; end systolic volume index 55 +/- 16 to 36 +/- 6 ml, P = 0.01) and LV mass index (106 +/- 14 to 95 +/- 13, P = 0.01). Iron cleared more slowly from myocardium than liver (5.0 +/- 3.3% vs. 39 +/- 23% per month, P = 0.02). These prospective data confirm that siderotic heart failure is often reversible with intravenous iron chelation with desferrioxamine. Myocardial T2* improves in concert with LV volumes and function during recovery, but iron clearance from the heart is considerably slower than from the liver.

Purpose To assess interscanner reproducibility of tissue iron measurements in patients with thalassemia using gradient echo T2* measurements on two different MRI scanners. Materials and Methods Twenty-five patients with thalassemia major had liver and myocardial T2* assessment using a Picker Edge 1.5T Scanner and a Siemens Sonata 1.5T scanner, with similar gradient echo sequences. In a subset of 13 patients, two scans on the Siemens scanner were performed to assess interstudy reproducibility. Results There was a highly significant, linear correlation between T2* values obtained for both the heart (r = 0.95) and the liver (r = 0.99) between scanners. The mean difference, coefficient of variability, and 95% confidence intervals between scanners were 0.8 msec, 9.4% and –5.0 to 6.7 msec for the heart; and 0.9 msec, 7.9% and –2.0 to 3.9 msec for the liver. The interstudy mean difference and coefficient of variability on the Siemens scanner was 0.3 msec and 4.8% (r = 0.99) for the heart, and 0.04 msec and 1.9% (r = 0.99) for the liver. Conclusion The T2* technique for measuring tissue iron is reproducible between the two manufacturers' scanners. This suggests that the widespread implementation of the technique is possible for clinical assessment of myocardial iron loading in thalassemia. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2003;18:616–620. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Management of patients with beta-thalassemia is based on adequate, safe blood transfusions (free of transfusion-transmitted diseases) and prevention of iron overload. Iron overload causes multiple endocrinopathies, contributes to osteoporosis, and is the cause of cardiac disease. Cardiac disease, secondary to iron damage, causes death in developed countries as a result of noncompliance to deferoxamine from the third decade of life. In underdeveloped countries, cardiac death starts from 12 years of age, due to nonavailability of deferoxamine. With the emergence of the advanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging technique, early diagnosis of heart iron will allow the currently available iron-chelating agents (oral and parenteral) to be used in an innovative way to improve the quality of life and improve survival of patients with beta-thalassemia.

Clinical complications of transfusional iron overload are still common in patients with thalassaemia major (TM) and it is not clear how best to monitor body iron stores during long-term follow-up to anticipate tissue damage. In this study, we have reviewed a group of 32 patients who underwent liver biopsy between 1984 and 1986. We developed a method of assessing the trend in serum ferritin (TSF) during long-term monitoring and compared this with mean serum ferritin (MSF) and initial liver iron (LI) concentration to determine whether, individually or in combination, they were accurate in predicting clinical outcome. LI levels were low ( 15 mg/g dry weight) in 15, 7 and 10 patients respectively. MSF was low ( 2500 μg/l) in 10, 14 and 8 patients. TSF was low, medium and high risk in 9, 9 and 11 out of 29 evaluable patients. During a median follow-up of 13·6 years (range 2·3–14·8 years) after biopsy, nine patients died and an additional three patients developed heart failure. Hypothyroidism developed in five, hypoparathyroidism in four, and diabetes mellitus in seven patients. Cirrhosis developed in four of 10 evaluable patients. The clinical end-point of death or cardiac failure was significantly associated with increasing iron load using all three means of assessment. Although numbers were insufficient for statistical analysis, MSF or TSF were more closely associated with complications of iron overload than LI. There was no clear additional value in combining LI with MSF or TSF. The data show that quantitation of liver iron from a single liver biopsy has little value in long-term monitoring of iron stores. Most complications can be avoided if ferritin levels can be brought down to

Beta-thalassaemia major is a serious genetic disorder, which results in a considerable increase in both acute and chronic morbidity, and mortality. Although beta-thalassaemia major is a rare disease affecting approximately 600 people in the UK, treatment is intensive and predictions of the costs incurred may aid health care planning. In this report, the cost to the health service of providing treatment services for beta-thalassaemia major patients, over the course of a lifetime, is calculated in order to assist resource allocation decisions. A cost model was developed, incorporating data from disparate sources. The undiscounted lifetime cost of treating a beta-thalassaemia major patient was estimated to be pound 803,002, although when the costs were discounted at a rate of 6%, the lifetime cost was reduced to pound 219,068. Within sensitivity analyses, the discounted cost ranged from approximately pound 188,000 to pound 226,000. This report may act as a guide to those involved in the planning of health care provision with regard to the resources required to treat beta-thalassaemia major patients. Such information may also be incorporated into the decision-making process for the provision of antenatal screening programmes for beta-thalassaemia major.

Cooley's original description of beta-thalassaemia major included marked bone deformities as a characteristic feature. These were thought to be due to expansion of haemopoiesis attempting to compensate for the congenital anaemia. Regular blood transfusions from infancy prevents these skeletal problems. Nevertheless, symptoms due to bone disease frequently occur in adult patients. Osteoporosis has not previously been reported as a cause of severe morbidity in thalassaemia major. The present study shows a high prevalence of low bone mass among thalassaemia major patients and analyses the predisposing causes. Bone density scans were performed in 82 patients with transfusion-dependent beta thalassaemia. Factors known to be associated with low bone mass such as gender, endocrine disorders and lifestyle activities, together with factors specific to the thalassaemia and its management, were included in a series of univariate analyses to ascertain any significant associations. 42 (51%) of the patients had severely low bone mass and a further 37 (45%) had low bone mass. The three factors showing a statistically significant association with severely low bone mass were male sex, 24/38 (63%) males had severely low bone mass, compared with 18/44 (41%) females, the lack of spontaneous puberty, 22/32 (69%) who required therapeutic induction of pubertal development had severely low bone mass, compared with 19/47 (40%) with spontaneous puberty and diabetes, 8/10 (80%) diabetic patients had severely low bone mass, compared with 23/56 (41%) with normal glucose tolerance. There was no association between the bone mineral density measurements and the haematological characteristics or treatment details of these patients. Severely low and low bone mass are common findings in patients with beta-thalassaemia major despite optimal transfusion and iron chelation. The associated features suggest that the severely low bone mass is due to endocrine abnormalities, in contrast to the haematological causes of bone disease characteristically seen in untreated thalassaemics.

In a proportion of transfusion-dependent patients iron chelation with daily doses of deferiprone of 75 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) is inadequate. The effects on iron status of increasing the daily oral dose of deferiprone and/or combining deferiprone therapy with subcutaneous infusions of desferrioxamine have been studied in 13 transfusion-dependent patients. Raising the daily dose of deferiprone in nine patients from 75 mg/kg to 83–100 mg/kg resulted in a fall in serum ferritin in all nine patients (t test for paired samples, P = 0.0022). Combined therapy of daily deferiprone with subcutaneous desferrioxamine on 2–6 d each week in five patients (with an increased dose of deferiprone in three patients) resulted in a fall in serum ferritin in all five patients studied after 7–15 months (P = 0.0791). No toxic side-effects attributable to either drug occurred in these five patients or in the nine patients in whom the dose of deferiprone was increased. The effects of the drugs given on the same day on urine iron excretion were additive. These results suggest that increasing the dose of deferiprone or combining subcutaneous desferrioxamine with deferiprone therapy are two methods by which efficacy of iron chelation with deferiprone can be improved in patients inadequately chelated by a daily dose of deferiprone of 75 mg/kg b.w. More extensive trials including full metabolic balance studies are needed to establish the safety and efficacy of long-term combined therapy.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of improving screening for carriers of haemoglobin disorders in general practice by using a nurse facilitator to work with primary care teams and the relevant haematology laboratories; to identify problems in communication between all those involved in delivering the service, and to implement solutions. Design: Two year, practice based randomised controlled trial. Setting: North London area where 29% of residents and 43% of births are in ethnic groups at risk for haemoglobin disorders. Subjects: 26 of the 93 practices using the services of the area9s haematology laboratory agreed to take part and were randomly divided into control and intervention practices. Main outcome measure: Change in number of requests for screening tests for haemoglobin disorders made by control and intervention practices in baseline and intervention years. Results: The number of screening tests requested varied from 0-150 in the 93 practices in the baseline year. Study practices tended to have made a moderate number of requests (10-50) during this period. During the intervention year intervention practices made 292 more requests (99% increase) and control practices made 74 fewer requests (23% decrease; P=0.001 for difference in median change). Four practices, three of which were singlehanded, accounted for 75% of the increase. The number of requests from intervention practices, adjusted for baseline requests, was 3.2 times higher than control practices (P Conclusion: General practitioners and practice nurses are willing to undertake a new genetic screening service (or expand an existing one) if they are persuaded that it benefits the health of a significant proportion of their practice population. They need appropriate tools (for example, information materials for carriers and groups at risk), and the laboratory must be sensitive to their needs. Preconceptional carrier screening and counselling need to be coupled with antenatal screening.

Hepatitis C infection is common in patients receiving life-long blood transfusion therapy. Interferon-alpha induces long-term viral clearance in 25-30% of patients suffering from Cooley's anemia. Ribavirin, an orally active guanoside analogue together with interferon-alpha produces a sustained response in up to 40% of patients with cirrhosis, who had previously failed single agent treatment. Growth retardation in iron-overloaded patients is the result of growth hormone deficiency in up to 30% of patients. Height gain can be successfully achieved in these patients with growth hormone treatment. Pregnancy in women with Cooley's anemia is now a reality, and over 100 pregnancies have been documented. Conception may be spontaneous or the result of ovulation induction. Cardiomyopathy and diabetes require careful assessment in these patients before a decision is made to treat with gonadotrophins to induce ovulation.

Haemoglobin disorders (the thalassaemias and sickle cell disorders) are common and severe, and are increasingly important in the UK. Modern management leads to long-term survival in many cases, but the treatment remains complex, burdensome and expensive. Neonatal screening is recommended for sickle cell disorders, since early diagnosis, regular medical supervision and prophylactic antibiotics greatly reduce the risk of sudden death from infection or splenic sequestration? Haemoglobin disorders can also be prevented by carrier screening, followed by genetic counselling and the option of prenatal diagnosis. The Department of Health has advised Districts to develop a policy for treatment and prevention of these disorders, and recommended universal carrier screening of all antenatal patients in Districts where the proportion of births in risk groups exceeds 14%. 2 Though prevention programmes have led to a fall of over 75% in affected births in several Mediterranean countries the effect in the UK has been far smaller? ,4 Consequently, haemoglobin disorders continue to be an important concern for paediatricians, as the number of children requiring treatment continues to increase. In this article we discuss why this is so, and identify ways in which paediatricians can promote services for haemoglobin disorders.

Fifty-one transfusion-dependent iron-loaded adult patients (38 with thalassemia major) were treated with the orally active iron chelator deferiprone (1,2 dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one, L1) at a dose of 75 mg/kg/d (range, 50 to 79). Twenty patients discontinued the drug and five died after a mean of 18.7 months (range, 4 to 35). Of the 20, 5 had arthropathy, 5 had gastrointestinal symptoms, 4 had a rising serum ferritin, 3 had agranulocytosis or neutropenia, 1 had tachycardia, 1 had renal failure, and 1 went abroad. Twenty-six patients continued deferiprone for a mean of 39.4 months (range, 12 to 49). Among these patients, there was no overall significant change in serum ferritin (initial mean, 2,937 μg/L; range, 980 to 5,970; final mean, 2,323 μg/L; range, 825 to 5,970) or in urine iron excretion (initial mean, 31.2 mg/24 h; range, 16.3 to 58.2; final mean, 32.1 mg/24 h; range, 9.4 to 75.8), implying no overall change in iron stores. When the patients who had received deferiprone for longer than 3 years were considered separately, there was also no significant change in serum ferritin or urinary iron excretion. The initial serum ferritin levels in the 26 patients who continued deferiprone treatment were significantly lower than in those who discontinued the drug (P

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in multi-transfused thalassaemic patients, and, in combination with transfusional iron overload, can result in progressive liver disease. Therapy with interferon-alpha causes a sustained loss of HCV in only 15-25% of patients, and there is as yet no established effective therapy for those who fail to respond. We have conducted a pilot study of combination anti-viral therapy for patients who failed to respond, or relapsed after an initial response to single-agent interferon-alpha. Patients were treated for 6 months with interferon-alpha 2b, given subcutaneously three mega units thrice weekly, together with ribavirin, orally 1 g daily. 11 patients were enrolled, their median age was 24.9 years. 8/10 evaluable patients had cirrhosis on biopsy, five were infected with HCV type 1 and all but one had initial HCV RNA titres > 10(6) genomes/ml. Five patients (45.5%) had a sustained virological response with loss of serum HCV RNA for > 6 months after finishing therapy. There was no clear association between response to therapy and age, histology, HCV genotype, or HCV RNA titre. Transfusion requirements were significantly increased during the treatment phase, probably due to ribavirin-induced haemolysis, and this necessitated intensification of iron chelation therapy. Serum ferritin levels decreased significantly in those who responded. These results suggest that combination therapy is potent in clearing HCV infection, and may provide effective second-line therapy for thalassaemic patients who have failed to respond to interferon-alpha monotherapy.

Twenty eight patients with thalassaemia intermedia and their parents were interviewed using specifically designed questionnaires to evaluate psychosocial burden. Hospital notes were analysed for clinical burden. A wide variation was found for both patients and parents, ranging from virtually unaffected to severely affected. Normal sexual function and setting up a family were mentioned by patients and parents as being particularly important for quality of life. Over half (58%) of the patients had problems with sexual maturation and functioning, and continuous monitoring of all patients with thalassaemia intermedia by a paediatric endocrinologist is therefore strongly indicated. Most parents said, in light of their experiences, that they would opt for prenatal diagnosis and termination of affected pregnancies even if a genotype predicting the mild form of disorder were discovered.

Single oral dose pharmacokinetics of the iron chelator deferiprone (L1) were studied in 24 patients with chronic iron overload and correlated with 24 h urinary iron excretion (UIE) and creatinine clearance. Absorption of L1 was rapid with a t1/2 of 22.2 +/- 17.7 (mean +/- SD) min. The elimination half-life (elt1/2) of the drug was 91.1 +/- 33.1 min and of its metabolite, L1-glucuronide (L1G) 147.7 +/- 52.0 min. Creatinine clearance of the patients correlated significantly with the elimination t1/2 of L1G (r = -0.79, P = 0.002). There was also a significant correlation between 24 h UIE in the 14 patients studied and L1 versus time area under the curve (AUC) (P = 0.007). The total amount of L1 recovered in urine in 24 h comprised 77.9 +/- 13.3% of the L1 dose. L1 efficiency (the 24 h UIE divided by the amount of iron the oral dose of L1 is capable of binding) in the 14 patients was 3.8 +/- 1.9%. These data show for the first time that the urinary elimination of L1G is influenced by the renal function of the patient. Although no significant accumulation of L1 and L1G will occur in most of the patients if L1 is given more than once daily, in some patients with impaired renal function, L1G may accumulate.

Non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) in plasma is toxic due to its ability to participate in free radical formation with resultant peroxidation and damage to cell membranes and other biomolecules. NTBI concentration was determined in serum in 12 normal volunteers and in 52 patients with beta-thalassaemia major by a modification of the method described by Singh et al (1990). There was no detectable NTBI in normal individuals. In the patients NTBI values ranged from -1.5 to 9.0 mumol/l (mean +/- SD: 3.6 +/- 2.3). The patients' serum ferritin concentrations ranged from 207 to 11,400 micrograms/l (2674 +/- 2538), total serum iron from 20 to 61 mumol/l (39.5 +/- 9.6) and transferrin saturation from 44 to 110% (84.5 +/- 13.8). The NTBI correlated significantly with serum ferritin (r = 0.467, P < 0.001), total serum iron (r = 0.608, P < 0.001) and transferrin saturation (r = 0.481, P < 0.005). When patients were grouped according to their compliance with desferrioxamine (DFX) therapy, the good compliers had significantly lower NTBI concentrations compared to the poor compliers (poor: 5.4 +/- 1.8 mumol/l v good: 2.7 +/- 1.7 mumol/l, P < 0.001). There was also a significant difference between the level of NTBI and whether or not the patients had complications of iron overload (5.2 +/- 1.7 mumol/l v 2.9 +/- 1.6 mumol/l, P < 0.001). During this study 10 patients were entered into a trial of the oral iron chelator 1,2- dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (L1). Their NTBI values were observed during the first 6 months of the trial and showed a significant fall (paired t-test: P = 0.007). These results suggest that the level of NTBI may prove helpful in assessing the efficiency of chelation in patients with transfusion dependent anaemia and help to predict organ damage.

Eleven patients with beta thalassemia major were entered into the trial of the oral chelator 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (L1). Their ages ranged from 17 to 26 years (mean +/- SD, 22.3 +/- 2.7). Six were male and five were female. L1 was administered at an initial daily dose of 42.5 to 60 mg/kg as a single dose. After 4 weeks, the dose was increased to 85 to 119 (102 +/- 10.7) mg/kg for 191 to 352 days divided into either two or four doses daily, except for one patient who developed agranulocytosis after 11 weeks and was taken off the trial. Initial serum ferritin values in the remaining 10 patients ranged between 1,000 and 9,580 (5,549 +/- 3,333) micrograms/L and at end of the trial their mean serum ferritin was significantly lower (4,126 +/- 2,278; P less than .05 using the paired t-test). Urinary iron excretion at a daily dose of 85 to 119 mg/kg administered as two divided doses ranged between 0.14 and 0.82 (0.44 +/- 0.26) mg/kg/24 h. In three patients, the four doses per day schedule caused substantially more iron excretion than the same total dose divided into two. During the course of the trial, several possible adverse effects have been encountered. One patient (female, aged 20) developed agranulocytosis 11 weeks after starting treatment and 6 weeks after beginning treatment with a daily dose of 105 mg/kg. This patient's neutrophil count recovered spontaneously 7 weeks after the discontinuation of L1. A decrease in serum zinc levels to subnormal levels was observed in four patients with symptoms of dry skin, with an itchy scaly rash in two that was associated with low serum zinc levels that responded to zinc therapy. Urinary zinc levels ranged from 4.7 to 23.4 (13 +/- 5.5) mumol/24 h and were above 9 mumol/24 h (upper limit of normal) in eight patients. Mild nausea occurred in three patients and transient diarrhea in a fourth. Mild musculoskeletal symptoms occurred in three patients but settled without discontinuation of L1 therapy in two and with temporary discontinuation of L1 in the third. A transient increase in serum aspartate transaminase was also noted in five patients, but serum aspartate transaminase levels subsequently decreased in all of them. No cardiovascular, neurologic, renal, or retinal toxicities were demonstrable. These results confirm that L1 is an effective oral iron chelator. Further clinical trials are needed to determine the incidence and severity of adverse effects.

Summary Sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassaemia major are the most important syndromes of the haemoglobinopathies. Complications of SCD can be life threatening and include stroke, hyposplenism and vaso-occlusive crises.Treatment of SCD is generally supportive or by transfusion, hydroxyurea or bone marrow transplant (BMT). b Thalassaemia major is treated with transfusion and chelation for the resulting iron overload which is the cause of most morbidity, with BMT the only curative procedure. c 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd

MHC-unrestricted cytotoxic lymphocytes, namely natural killer (NK) and lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells, have been implicated in the regulation of haemopoiesis. To investigate the possible role of these lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of aplastic anaemia (AA), we studied their functions in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) of patients with AA treated with antilymphocyte globulin (ALG). Before treatment, both NK and LAK activities in the PBMC of 25 patients were low (NK = 1.9 +/- 2.1 x 10(3) LU/l) LAK = 4.7 +/- 3.6 x 10(3) LU/l) compared to normal (NK = 6.0 +/- 3.0 x 10(3) LU/l, LAK = 10.0 +/- 3.5 x 10(3) LU/l) or multiply transfused (NK = 7.8 +/- 6.6 x 10(3) LU/l, LAK = 25.2 +/- 13.6 x 10(3) LU/l) controls. The NK and LAK activities in the BMMC in AA patients were not significantly different from those in PBMC. In all patients with low LAK and NK activities pre ALG there was an increase in activity 2-24 weeks after therapy which eventually reached normal levels and which was maintained for up to 2 years. Analysis of lymphocyte phenotypes in AA patients before treatment showed both significantly low mean proportion and absolute numbers of CD16+ cells compared to normals, which increased after therapy. Changes in MHC-unrestricted cytotoxicity and lymphocyte phenotypes post therapy were not correlated with haemopoietic recovery. These data suggest that ALG treatment can enhance the functions of MHC-unrestricted lymphocytes independently from haemopoiesis. It is unlikely that these cells play a role in the pathogenesis of AA.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to quantify myocardial iron loading by T2* in 11 transfusion-dependent good prognostic myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. Myocardial T2*, left ventricular function and hepatic T2* were measured simultaneously. Patients had been on transfusion therapy for 13-123 months and had serum ferritin levels of 1109-6148 microg/l at the time of study. Five patients had not commenced iron chelation and had been transfused with a median of 63 red cell units and had a median serum ferritin level of 1490 microg/l. Six patients were on iron chelation and had been transfused with a median of 112 red cell units and had a median serum ferritin level of 4809 mug/l. Hepatic iron overload was mild in two, moderate in seven and severe in two patients. The median liver iron concentration was 5.9 mg/g dry weight in chelated patients and 9.5 mg/g in non-chelated patients (P = 0.17; not significant). Myocardial T2* indicated absent iron loading in 10/11 patients (91%; 95% confidence interval 62-98%) and borderline-normal in one patient. Left ventricular function was normal in all patients. No correlation was observed between increasing serum ferritin levels, hepatic iron overload and myocardial T2*. A long latent period relative to hepatic iron loading appears to predate the development of myocardial iron loading in transfusion-dependent MDS patients.

Most deaths in beta-thalassemia major result from cardiac complications due to iron overload. Differential effects on myocardial siderosis may exist between different chelators. A randomized controlled trial was performed in 61 patients previously maintained on subcutaneous deferoxamine. The primary end point was the change in myocardial siderosis (myocardial T2(*)) over 1 year in patients maintained on subcutaneous deferoxamine or those switched to oral deferiprone monotherapy. The dose of deferiprone was 92 mg/kg/d and deferoxamine was 43 mg/kg for 5.7 d/wk. Compliance was 94% +/- 5.3% and 93% +/- 9.7% (P = .81), respectively. The improvement in myocardial T2(*) was significantly greater for deferiprone than deferoxamine (27% vs 13%; P = .023). Left ventricular ejection fraction increased significantly more in the deferiprone-treated group (3.1% vs 0.3% absolute units; P = .003). The changes in liver iron level (-0.93 mg/g dry weight vs -1.54 mg/g dry weight; P = .40) and serum ferritin level (-181 microg/L vs -466 microg/L; P = .16), respectively, were not significantly different between groups. The most frequent adverse events were transient gastrointestinal symptoms for deferiprone-treated patients and local reactions at the infusion site for deferoxamine. There were no episodes of agranulocytosis. Deferiprone monotherapy was significantly more effective than deferoxamine over 1 year in improving asymptomatic myocardial siderosis in beta-thalassemia major.

It is believed that myocardial iron deposition and the resultant cardiomyopathy only occur in the presence of severe liver iron overload. Using cardiovascular magnetic resonance, it is now possible to assess myocardial and liver iron levels as well as cardiac function in the same scan, allowing this supposition to be examined. We describe a patient with progressive myocardial iron deposition and the development of early iron overload cardiomyopathy despite excellent compliance to standard subcutaneous desferrioxamine, minimal liver iron and well-controlled serum ferritin levels. These indirect markers remained far below the thresholds conventionally believed to be associated with increased cardiac risk.

Summary We report semen analyses in eight patients with β-thalassaemia major, with poor results in all but the youngest. The causation is multi-factorial with iron deposition in the pituitary gland resulting from life-long dependence on blood transfusions being a major factor. We speculate on other contributing causes, but further research is required to elucidate these. Improving haematological care means that these men are increasingly surviving to adult life. Relevant techniques to enable them to achieve their desire for fatherhood are considered.

Background: Many factors can negatively affect growth in thalassemic patients, and hypogonadism has been considered as the main factor responsible for their pubertal growth failure. Objective: To evaluate the influence of hypogonadism and its treatment on pubertal growth and final height in thalassemic patients. Methods: We compared the growth of 28 hypogonadal thalassemic patients in whom puberty was induced to that of 25 patients in whom puberty occurred spontaneously. Results: In both groups of patients we observed reduced peak height velocity (induced puberty: females 4.9 ± 2.1, males 6.0 ± 1.8 cm/year; spontaneous puberty: females 6.1 ± 1.5, males 7.3 ± 2.1 cm/year) and pubertal height gain (induced puberty: females 11.3 ± 4.0, males 18.0 ± 4.5 cm/year; spontaneous puberty: females 15.8 ± 2.7, males 18.1 ± 5.3 cm/year) and a short final height (induced puberty: females –1.8 ± 0.7, males –2.1 ± 1.0 SDS; spontaneous puberty: females –2.3 ± 1.0, males –1.9 ± 1.0 SDS). Conclusions: Poor pubertal growth is present in thalassemic patients regardless of hypogonadism. Other factors are responsible for the reduced growth spurt and the final short stature observed in these patients.

Purpose To assess tissue iron concentrations by the use of a gradient echo T2* multiecho technique. Materials and Methods We compared the results of measurements of heart T2* from 32 patients using the established multiple breath-hold variable TR technique with a new multiecho sequence that acquires all images within a single breath-hold with constant TR. Results There was good agreement of myocardial T2* values between both methods in the abnormal range of T2* < 20 msec (mean difference 0.2msec, 95% CI −1.3 to 0.9 msec, r = 0.97, P < 0.0001). The coefficient of variability between the methods was 3.5%. The interstudy reproducibility using the multiecho sequence had a variability coefficient of 2.3% in the abnormal T2* range and 5.8% over all T2* values. There was good agreement between the techniques for the liver T2* values. Conclusions The use of the single breath-hold, multiecho acquisition allowed reliable quantification of myocardial T2*. The good reproducibility, speed, and T1 independence of this technique allows greater accuracy, faster patient throughput, and, therefore, reduced costs (which is important in developing countries where thalassemia is most prevalent). J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2003;18:33–39. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Agranulocytosis was observed in a 63-year-old patient with myelodysplasia 6 weeks after commencing chelation with the oral iron chelator deferiprone (1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one, L1) at a daily dose of 79 mg/kg. Using a liquid culture system no difference was observed when L1 toxicity to normal and patient myelopoiesis was compared (IC50: 150 v 172 microM respectively). L1 was found to be less toxic than desferrioxamine (DFX) (IC50: 150 v 9 microM respectively) to normal myelopoiesis. Delayed addition of iron to myeloid cultures containing an inhibitory concentration of L1 or DFX was associated with reversal of chelator-induced inhibition of myelopoiesis up to 6 h but not after 24 h. Further studies are needed to determine the incidence and elucidate the pathogenesis of agranulocytosis associated with L1 therapy.

Aims To develop and validate a non-invasive method for measuring myocardial iron in order to allow diagnosis and treatment before overt cardiomyopathy and failure develops.Methods and Results We have developed a new magnetic resonance T2-star (T2*) technique for the measurement of tissue iron, with validation to chemical estimation of iron in patients undergoing liver biopsy. To assess the clinical value of this technique, we subsequently correlated myocardial iron measured by this T2* technique with ventricular function in 106 patients with thalassaemia major. There was a significant, curvilinear, inverse correlation between iron concentration by biopsy and liver T2* (r=0(.)93, P

A wide variety of compounds have been tested in animals and humans in order to find drugs which are capable of removing iron from patients with refractory anaemias receiving regular blood transfusions. Parenteral preparations which have been evaluated clinically include desferrioxamine (DFO), diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA), desferrithiocin and HBED (N,NL bis (2-hydroxy-benzyl ethylenediamine - NNI diacetic acid). Orally active chelators include 2,3 dihydroxybenzoic acid, pyridoxal isonicotinyl hydrazone, 1,2,dimethylpyrid-4-one (L1, deferiprone) and 1,2 diethylpyrid-4-one). The only two compounds in wide clinical use are DFO and deferiprone. DFO discussed in detail elsewhere in this volume remains standard therapy but because of cost, failure of compliance and, less frequently, toxicity or sensitivity, it is not satisfactory for many patients worldwide, especially in poorer countries where thalassaemia major and other transfusion dependent genetic disorders of haemoglobin are most frequent and antenatal diagnosis and prevention is inadequate or non-existent. In India, deferiprone, known as Kelfer (Cipla, Bombay, India) has been licensed since 1990. In the European Community Countries deferiprone, known as Ferriprox, has been licensed for those patients for whom DFO is contra-indicated or who exhibit serious toxicity to DFO therapy. In this review we shall describe the long term results of therapy with deferiprone either alone or in combination with DFO. Other recent reviews of this drug include those of Addis et al1, Basman Balfour et al2Diav-Citrin et al3Hershko & Hoffbrand4Olivieri5.

Thalassaemia intermedia, defined as homozygous beta-thalassaemia in which patients are not transfusion-dependent, covers a wide range of clinical severity. It may arise because one or more genetic factors ameliorate the otherwise severe phenotype of thalassaemia major. Exactly which and how many such mutations are necessary to produce a thalassaemia intermedia phenotype is incompletely understood, although such information would be useful both clinically and for prenatal diagnosis. We examined DNA from 28 patients with thalassaemia intermedia resident in London and 28 matched patients with thalassaemia major, for 3 types of genetic modifying factors, namely; mild beta-thalassaemia mutations, the upstream XmnI G-gamma globin gene polymorphism, and alpha-globin gene deletions. The results show that the number of alleviating mutations present has a large influence on the phenotype of patients with homozygous beta-thalassaemias. A single alleviating mutation was present in 56% of thalassaemia intermedia subjects compared with 26% of thalassaemia major subjects. Two alleviating mutations were present in 33% of thalassaemia intermedia subjects compared with 1 thalassaemia major subject. No patients with thalassaemia major had 3 alleviating mutations, in contrast to 11% of those with thalassaemia intermedia. Although the findings did not account for the full range of phenotypic variation, such information is of potential value both in the clinical management and the prenatal diagnosis of homozygous beta-thalassaemia.

Fifteen iron-overloaded thalassaemia major (TM) patients and two homozygous sickle cell patients (SCD) were treated continuously for 7d each week with the novel 48 h continuous subcutaneous (s.c.) desferrioxamine (DFX) delivery device (code C1083, Baxter) and 10 TM patients received the 24 h continuous intravenous (i.v.) DFX delivery device (code C1071). The 27 patients had previously received conventional s.c. DFX for 8-10h on 5 or more days each week. The serum non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI) levels fell significantly in both groups within 12h of commencing the continuous infusion. In the s.c. group the mean level fell from 4.2 to 2.0 mumol/l (P = 0.001), whereas in the i.v. group the mean level fell from 3.6 to 0.1 mumol/l (P = 0.006) the initial levels being measured 12h after stopping conventional s.c. DFX. After 4 weeks there was a significant fall in serum ferritin in both groups (P = 0.009). The new DFX delivery device is effective at removing toxicfree iron from plasma and reducing body iron. Moreover, it is preferred by patients with much improved compliance compared to the conventional s.c. DFX pump.

Objectives To examine the pregnancies, mode of delivery and outcomes, review the literature on fertility and discuss preconceptual guidance for women with β thalassaemia major. Design An observational study. Subjects Sixteen women with p thalassaemia major. Setting Two collaborating London teaching hospitals. Main outcome measures Pre-pregnancy assessment, pregnancy course, mode of delivery, gesta-tional age at delivery and birthweight. Results There were 16 pregnancies in 11 women. Three of these pregnancies were terminated. Of the 13 deliveries, there were two normal deliveries, one forceps delivery and 10 caesarean sections. The main findings in a further five women seeking fertility treatment were of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, diabetes and cardiomyopathy. Conclusions Pregnancy in women with p thalassaemia major does not appear to have a deleterious effect on the course of the disease. No increased obstetric complications were encountered except for the high caesarean section rate, essentially due to cephalopelvic disproportion. A high incidence of cardiomyopathy and diabetes dictates a careful assessment before embarking on ovulation induction to treat the hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism which is common in these women.

Treatment of thalassaemia has improved to the exent that about 55 % of boys and girls with homozygous β-thalassaemia now enter puberty normally with the assurance of greater longevity and with the prospect of future marriage. For these reasons, many new problems are emerging to challenge doctors who care for patients with thalassaemia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fertility potential of thalassaemic men who have achieved full sexual maturation, either spontaneously or on treatment with gonadotrophins.

Agranulocytosis developed in a 63-year-old patient with myelodysplasia 6 weeks after commencing treatment with the oral iron chelator deferiprone (L1, 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one, CP20) at a daily dose of 79 mg/kg. This was the 3rd case of agranulocytosis (neutrophils 0 x 10(9)/l) in clinical trials of L1 at the Royal Free Hospital. The neutrophil count recovered 7 days after stopping L1 and commencing G-CSF at a dose of 300 micrograms daily. Three other patients with milder degrees of neutropenia (neutrophils < 1.5 x 10(9)/l) have also been observed in our trials. The case histories of these 4 patients are described here; other reported cases of neutropenia or agranulocytosis are reviewed. Based on worldwide long-term clinical trials the incidence of agranulocytosis is about 1.6% and of neutropenia 2%.

Summary OBJECTIVE The clinical picture of thalassaemia major has changed progressively over the years. Our study is a retrospective analysis of data on growth in a group of patients who have completed puberty spontaneously and have attained their adult height. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of different transfusion regimes and desferrioxamine administration on the growth pattern in β thalassaemia major. DESIGN AND PATIENTS We studied 64 patients (28 males and 36 females). The patients were divided into three groups (A, B and C) according to the different transfusion regimes and the schedules of chelating therapy. Group A consisted of 16 patients who were transfused regularly at low haemoglobin levels (on average 8 5 g/dl) from an early age and started subcutaneous chelation therapy during adolescence. Group B consisted of 19 patients who were transfused regularly at high haemoglobin levels (on average 10 g/dl) from an early age and started subcutaneous therapy during childhood. Group C consisted of 29 patients who were transfused regularly at high haemoglobin levels (on average 10-5 g/dl) from an early age and started subcutaneous chelation therapy very early, at a mean age of 2 years. Standard auxological measurements were made at 3-monthly intervals throughout childhood and puberty until adult height was achieved. For group C patients the data on linear growth are provided only until the age of 12 years. RESULTS Our study indicates that group A male and female patients did not grow significantly better than those in group B. Group C male and female patients, surprisingly, grew no faster than those who started chelation therapy late in childhood (group A). The most striking feature in the majority of both group A and B patients was reduced spurt in height at puberty. In addition, in both groups, a reduced sitting height due to spinal growth abnormality was found. An inverse correlation between sitting height and serum ferritin levels was observed in group A patients (r=–055, P

AIMS--To assess the pharmacokinetics of oral, intramuscular, or transdermal hormone replacement in patients with beta thalassaemia major. METHODS--Oral (testosterone undecanoate 40 mg) and intramuscular (testosterone propionate 15 mg, phenylpropionate 30 mg, isocaproate 30 mg and decanoate 50 mg) testosterone and transdermal (17 beta oestradiol 25 micrograms and 50 micrograms) oestradiol were evaluated in 21 male (16-29 years) and 11 female (19-26 years) patients with beta thalassaemia major and various forms of hypogonadism. RESULTS--In male patients given oral testosterone, peak testosterone concentrations were observed either two to four hours or seven hours after administration; intramuscular testosterone produced peak values seven days after injection. Transdermal 17 beta oestradiol given to female patients produced a biphasic pattern with an initial peak concentration occurring at 36 hours and a secondary rise at 84 hours. CONCLUSIONS--The results indicate that oral androgens should be given twice daily in cases of hypogonadism, and where growth is incomplete, lower than recommended doses. If intramuscular testosterone is used, smaller doses of 10-25 mg should be given every one to two weeks. Transdermal administration of 25-50 micrograms 17 beta oestradiol generally produces a plasma E2 value in the early to mid-follicular phase range (100-300 pmol/l). This is appropriate in adults but excessive for prepubertal girls. Diffuse iron infiltration of tissues does not seem to interfere with the absorption of androgens and oestrogens from the gut, muscle, or skin.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for the majority of cases of post transfusion non-A non-B (NANB) hepatitis in thalassaemia major (TM). Twelve multi-transfused TM patients with serological, biochemical, histological and molecular biological evidence of HCV infection have been treated for 6 months with recombinant alpha-interferon (IFN). Ten (83%) responded as assessed by a fall of at least 50% of pre-treatment serum transaminase levels. Histological improvement was observed in 6/7 responders tested. Natural killer (NK) cell activity 24 h after the first dose of IFN was significantly increased in responders as compared to non-responders (P < 0.05). HCV RNA disappeared from serum in 5/12 and from liver tissue in 2/5 of the responders. The degree of induction of peripheral blood mononuclear cell 2'5' oligoadenylate synthetase messenger RNA (2-5 OAS mRNA), an enzyme induced by IFN, after the first dose of IFN did not correlate with response. IFN was generally well tolerated. We conclude that the response rate in multi-transfused TM patients infected with HCV and treated with IFN is similar to that in non-multi-transfused patients.

Cardiac scintigraphy has been performed in 60 beta-thalassaemia major patients aged 8-35 years who received regular blood transfusions and subcutaneous desferrioxamine (DFX) chelation. Fifty-seven showed no clinical, radiological or electrocardiographic evidence of heart disease and 3 had clinically apparent cardiac failure. Twenty-two patients (37%) showed severe cardiac functional impairment defined by a resting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 45% and/or a drop of greater than 12% on stress, while 19 were normal and 19 had a mild abnormality. There was no significant correlation between abnormality of LVEF and age, serum ferritin, number of units transfused, dose and duration of subcutaneous DFX therapy, liver disease or sexual maturation. Non-compliant patients (defined as the use of subcutaneous DFX less than 4 times weekly) generally showed worse cardiac function. Repeat study on 17 patients after 6-28 months of better compliance with subcutaneous or intravenous DFX (using an indwelling catheter) showed a significant overall improvement in LVEF associated with a significant drop in serum ferritin. We conclude that cardiac scintigraphy uncovers a high incidence of cardiac functional abnormality in asymptomatic, well-transfused thalassaemia patients, particularly those poorly compliant with chelation. Those with poor LVEF results should be offered intensive chelation therapy to improve cardiac function.

Repeated blood transfusions in Thalassemia Major (TM) may lead to myocardial iron accumulation and death. Left ventricular (LV) function is commonly used to assess for iron overload, however, the reference range in TM for these variables in the absence of myocardial iron loading is not known. We used cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in 205 TM patients and studied those (N=81) with normal myocardial T2* measurements (T2*>20ms) and by inference without excess myocardial iron. Resting LV volumes and function normalized to body surface area were compared with 40 age and gender matched healthy controls. All LV parameters were significantly different (p LV Parameters Normalized to Body Surface Area in Males. TM Patients (Mean±SD) Controls (Mean±SD) LV parameters normalized to body surface area for males with mean and standard deviations divided into TM patients with no myocardial iron loading and non-anemic age matched controls. The ejection fraction is not indexed to body surface area as it does not vary significantly with body habitus. LVEDVI - left ventricular end-diastolic volume index, LVESVI - left ventricular end-systolic volume index, LVSVI - left ventricular stroke volume index, LVEF - left ventricular ejection fraction, LVMI - left ventricular mass index, CO - cardiac output, COI cardiac output index. LVEDVI (mL/m 2 ) 97.2±27.2 84.1±10.5 LVESVI (mL/m 2 ) 23.1±5.2 29.6±6.1 LVSVI (mL/m 2 ) 70.8±15.8 54.4±7.1 LVEF 71.0±6.1 64.9±5.0 LVMI (g/m 2 ) 84.6±20.3 75.0±8.4 CO (L/min) 9.8±3.2 6.8±1.5 COI (L/min/m 2 ) 5.7±1.9 3.5±0.7 LV Parameters Normailzed to Body Surface Area in Females TM Patients (Mean±SD) Controls (Mean±SD) LV parameters normalized to body surface area for females with mean and standard deviations divided into TM patients with no myocardial iron loading and non-anemic age matched controls. The ejection fraction is not indexed to body surface area as it does not vary significantly with body habitus. LVEDVI - left ventricular end-diastolic volume index, LVESVI - left ventricular end-systolic volume index, LVSVI - left ventricular stroke volume index, LVEF - left ventricular ejection fraction, LVMI - left ventricular mass index, CO - cardiac output, COI cardiac output index. LVEDVI (mL/m 2 ) 87.4±16.6 79.4±9.8 LVESVI (mL/m 2 ) 20.8±7.3 26.1±4.7 LVSVI (mL/m 2 ) 66.5±12.4 53.3±7.3 LVEF 75.1±5.9 67.1±4.3 LVMI (g/m 2 ) 69.9±17.3 61.9±7.9 CO (L/min) 8.2±2.0 5.8±1.6 COI (L/min/m 2 ) 5.2±1.3 3.4±0.8

Background: Deferitrin (GT56-252) is an orally active, tridentate, iron chelator under development to treat chronic iron overload conditions resulting from transfusion therapy. The compound is derived from desferrithiocin specifically modified to minimize toxicity associated with the parent compound (Bergeron et al., 1999). Deferitrin effects iron excretion with an efficiency of 13–18% when administered orally to Cebus apella monkeys, a species whose iron metabolism closely resembles that of humans. Iron excretion is predominantly by the fecal route (80–90%). Methods: This Phase 1 trial was an open-label, parallel-design, two-dose study. The study consisted of a screening period, a confinement period during which a single dose of deferitrin was administered on two consecutive days with pharmacokinetic measurements, and a follow-up visit. Twenty-six patients, divided in five panels, received at least one dose of deferitrin over two days, either fasted or fed, at five dose levels from 3 to 15 mg/kg. Deferitrin was administered as liquid (3 and 4.5 mg/kg), or as 50 or 250 mg capsules (4.5, 8, 11, and 15 mg/kg). Blood samples were taken at intervals up to 24 hours to characterize the pharmacokinetics of deferitrin, and 24-hour urine collections were conducted to measure deferitrin excretion. Safety laboratories included chemistry and hematology panels, coagulation parameters, urinalysis, and urine beta-2-microglobulin. Additional safety evaluations included physical examinations and electrocardiogrammes (ECG). Results: Deferitrin was well tolerated. There were no serious adverse events while patients were confined; however, one patient with pre-existing diabetes who received 4.5 mg/kg was hospitalized after an episode of hypoglycemic coma three days after the second dose. This had been a recurring phenomenon in this patient, and was determined by the investigator to be unrelated to administration of deferitrin. There were no clinically significant changes in safety laboratories, including chemistry, hematology, and coagulation studies, in urinalyses or urinary beta-2-microglobulin levels. ECGs performed before and after dosing were unremarkable. The AUC for the fed and fasted states were similar, both for the liquid and capsule, suggesting that bioavailability is not impaired by food. From 13 to 48% of the drug was present in serum as the 2:1 deferitrin: iron complex. The T½ (approximately 2 to 4 hours) was similar for all doses. Preliminary measurement of deferitrin levels in the urine showed recovery of approximately 75% at all doses. Approximately 2% of the deferitrin in the urine was complexed to iron. Conclusion: In this initial clinical study, deferitrin was safe, well-tolerated, and well-absorbed either with food and fasting in beta-thalassemia patients. Renal excretion of deferitrin uncomplexed with iron was similar to that seen in preclinical studies, which predict iron excretion to be via the fecal route. Further studies are ongoing to define the effect of deferitrin on iron balance.

Summary We studied 29 patients with thalassaemia major who had received intensive chelation for between 6.2 and 8.8 years. All patients had normal oral glucose tolerance tests before subcutaneous chelation therapy was introduced and 22 of 29 patients had normal liver function tests. At the end of the period of study 12 patients still had normal oral glucose tolerance (7 with normal liver function tests and 5 with chronic active hepatitis). On the other hand, 11 patients had developed impaired glucose tolerance tests (3 patients had normal liver function tests, 5 with chronic active hepatitis and 3 with cirrhosis), and 6 patients had developed frank diabetes mellitus (one with chronic active hepatitis and 5 with cirrhosis). Patients with chronic active hepatitis showed 91% positivity for one or more hepatitis B markers whilst all patients with cirrhosis were positive. Ferritin levels before subcutaneous chelation in patients with normal oral glucose tolerance tests were lower than in those patients with abnormal oral glucose tolerance or diabetes (P < 0.05) but none had normal serum ferritin levels. In addition, a positive correlation was found between glucose area under the curve after chelation therapy and serum ferritin levels (r = 0.47, P < 0.01). It is apparent that long term chelation therapy does not prevent the development of abnormal oral glucose tolerance in chronically transfused patients. More intensive chelation therapy is needed to prevent tissue damage. Chronic liver disease may have an important role to play in the deterioration of glucose tolerance.

Bone-marrow granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cell proliferation and regulatory factor (colony-stimulating activity; CSA) production were assessed at presentation and, if possible, subsequently in twenty-one patients with dysmyelopoiesis and less than 5% bone-marrow blasts. Seven patients underwent acute leukaemic transformation 1-35 months after the first marrow culture. Assay of bone-marrow endogenous CSA proved the most useful prognostic test. The rate of transformation in the seven patients with raised CSA at presentation was significantly greater (five transformed and one died at or before 4 months) than that in the fourteen patients with normal, low, or undetectable CSA (two transformed at 27 and 35 months). In one of the latter an increase in bone-marrow CSA occurred 6 weeks before transformation (serial marrow samples were not available in the other case). No other marrow culture feature measured, including the presence or absence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells and total clone numbers (colonies and smaller clusters) was as useful.

Summary Regular subcutaneous desferrioxamine therapy has prolonged the life and reduced the incidence of cardiac, endocrine and liver complications of iron overload in patients with thalassaemia major and other refractory transfusion-dependent anaemias. Its full impact will be apparent only when patients who began this treatment as children 10 years ago reach adult life. The major problems with s.c. DF therapy are its cost and the difficulty of patient compliance with a painful and cumbersome method of administration. Attempts to maintain normal iron stores in these patients has resulted in significant toxicity caused by the excessive use of DF. Although recent studies have shown that long-term subcutaneous calcium diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (Ca-DTPA) can be used as an effective alternative to s.c. DF ( Wonke et al, 1988 ), this treatment presents additional potential problems of zinc depletion which can be prevented only by careful management. The prospects of an inexpensive, orally active iron chelator are now real ( Kontoghiorghes and Hoffbrand, 1988 ) and it is to be hoped that long-term results at least as good as those with s.c. DF will be achievable. Such oral chelators may be available to a far wider group of patients, than s.c. DF, and the problems of cost and compliance may be diminished.

Summary Young red cells (YRBC) prepared on a cell washer were compared to whole blood in a randomized prospective trial in 48 transfusion dependent patients with thalassaemia major. A minor but statistically significant decrease in blood consumption was observed in the group receiving YRBC. However, no difference was seen in transfusion interval, mean haemoglobin and rate of haemoglobin fall between the two groups. Filtered blood was shown to be as effective as frozen blood in eliminating non-haemolytic febrile transfusion reactions in all the trial patients. We conclude that any reduction in the rate of iron loading brought about by the use of YRBC is clinically insignificant and does not justify the expense, time and work required to produce young red cells for use in a large transfusion dependent thalassaemic population.