Desferrioxamine therapy accelerates clearance of iron deposits after bone marrow transplantation for thalassaemia
- 1 April 1995
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in British Journal of Haematology
- Vol. 89 (4), 868-873
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2141.1995.tb08426.x
Abstract
We treated 18 heavily iron-loaded patients who had become ex-thalassaemics after bone marrow transplantation with subcutaneous desferrioxamine therapy for 5-20 months. As determined using serum ferritin concentration, transferrin saturation and stainable liver iron obtained in follow-up biopsies, marked decreases in body iron stores were observed with this regimen. Moreover, the liver function tests demonstrate a trend to normalization in all cases. Local skin reactions to desferrioxamine were the only toxicities observed. We conclude that pharmacological iron chelation is a safe and effective therapy in the reduction of iron deposits in this clinical situation; it therefore represents a valid alternative to phlebotomy in selected patients.Keywords
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