Oxidative status and malondialdehyde in β-thalassaemia patients

• Published in: European journal of clinical investigation Vol. 32; no. s1; pp. 55 - 60
• Main Authors: Cighetti, G., Duca, L., Bortone, L., Sala, S., Nava, I., Fiorelli, G., Cappellini, M. D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.03.2002
• Subjects: Adult; Antioxidants - metabolism; beta-Thalassemia - metabolism; Female; Humans; Iron - blood; Iron Chelating Agents - therapeutic use; Iron overload; Iron Overload - drug therapy; Iron Overload - metabolism; Male; malondialdehyde; Malondialdehyde - blood; Middle Aged; nontransferrin-bound iron; Oxidative Stress - physiology; Peroxides - metabolism; thalassaemia; Transferrin - metabolism
• ISSN: 0014-2972; 1365-2362
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2362.2002.0320s1055.x

Background In β‐thalassaemia syndromes, decreased or impaired biosynthesis of β‐globin leads to accumulation of unpaired α‐globin chains. Moreover, the iron overload in β‐thalassaemia patients generates oxygen‐free radicals and peroxidative tissue injury. The aim of this study was to detect and correlate iron overload parameters with the oxidative stress and the antioxidant capability in β‐thalassaemia patients. Design Serum iron, transferrin saturation, serum ferritin, nontransferrin‐bound iron (NTBI), levels of serum free and total (free + bound) malondialdehyde (MDA) and total peroxyl radical‐trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) were evaluated in 21 regularly transfused β‐thalassaemia major (TM) patients, 13 untransfused β‐thalassaemia intermedia (TI) patients and 17 healthy controls. Blood from the TM patients was drawn 48 h after the last desferoxamine (20–40 mg kg−1) infusion and just before transfusion. Results Free and total MDA and NTBI levels were higher in the TM patients than in the TI. In the TM patients the free MDA levels correlated positively with serum iron (r = +0·3, P = 0·0006), whereas the total MDA correlated positively with NTBI (r = +0·45, P = 0·037). However, a negative correlation was observed between TRAP and NTBI (r = −0·4, P = 0·0006). In the TI patients there was no significant correlation between free or total MDA and TRAP or NTBI. Conclusions Our results confirm the peroxidative status generated by iron overload in thalassaemia patients and highlight the rapid formation of marked amounts of free MDA despite the chelation therapy in TM patients.