Journal
BLOOD CELLS MOLECULES AND DISEASES
Volume 47, Issue 4, Pages 232-234Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2011.07.005
Keywords
Thalassemia intermedia; Growth differentiation factor-15; Ineffective erythropoiesis; Iron overload; Clinical complications
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Transfusion-independent patients with beta thalassemia intermedia (TI) experience a variety of clinical complications attributed to the underlying ineffective erythropoiesis and subsequent anemia, hemolysis, and iron overload. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) was recently investigated as a marker of ineffective erythropoiesis in several anemias. In this work, we evaluated GDF-15 levels in 55 patients with TI. The mean GDF-15 level was 25,197.8 +/- 16,208.9 pg/ml which is lower than values reported for patients with thalassemia major, yet considerably higher than those reported in patients with other congenital and acquired anemias. GDF-15 levels were significantly higher in splenectomized compared to non-splenectomized patients and correlated with anemia, markers of iron overload, and a pre-defined clinical severity score. Further studies are needed to determine the practical utility of GDF-15 measurement and its potential to reflect the severity of the clinical course in TI patients. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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