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Risk Factors for the Occurrence of Asymptomatic Brain Lesions in Patients with β-Thalassemia: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Source :
-
Clinical laboratory [Clin Lab] 2023 Jun 01; Vol. 69 (6). - Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Background: Several factors, including increased platelet aggregation, decreased platelet survival, decreased antithrombotic factors cause a hypercoagulable state in thalassemia patients. This is the first meta-analysis designed to summarize the association of age, splenectomy, gender, and serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels with the occurrence of asymptomatic brain lesions in thalassemia patients using MRI.<br />Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist. We searched four major databases and included eight articles for this review. The quality of the included studies was assessed based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale checklist. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 13. Odds ratio (OR) and standardized mean difference (SMD) were considered as effect sizes for comparing the categorical and continuous variables, respectively.<br />Results: The pooled OR for splenectomy in patients with brain lesions compared to those without lesions was 2.25 (95% CI 1.22 - 4.17, p = 0.01). The pooled analysis for SMD of age between patients with/without brain lesions was statistically significant, 0.4 (95% CI 0.07 - 0.73, p = 0.017). The pooled OR for the occurrence of silent brain lesions was not statistically significant in males compared to females, 1.08 (95% CI 0.62 - 1.87, p = 0.784). The pooled SMD of Hb and serum ferritin in positive brain lesions compared to negatives were 0.01 (95% CI -0.28, 0.35, p = 0.939) and 0.03 (95% CI -0.28, 0.22, p = 0.817), respectively, which were not statistically significant.<br />Conclusions: Older age and splenectomy are risk factors for developing asymptomatic brain lesions in β-thalassemia patients. Physicians should consider a careful assessment of high-risk patients for starting prophylactic treatment.
- Subjects :
- Female
Male
Humans
Risk Factors
Odds Ratio
Ferritins
Brain
beta-Thalassemia
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1433-6510
- Volume :
- 69
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Clinical laboratory
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 37307134
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.7754/Clin.Lab.2022.221111