Key result
Severe iron overload linked to ~2.8-fold higher NT-proBNP in pediatric thalassemia patients.
Why the study?
Thalassemia patients require frequent blood transfusions causing iron overload, and NT pro BNP is a sensitive biomarker to detect cardiac iron overload, but its correlation with serum ferritin and transfusion number needed clarification.
Cross-Sectional (n=50)
No
Absolute Event Rate: 219.82% vs 78.82%
p-value: p=<0.001
May flag subclinical cardiac strain in high-ferritin thalassemia; leaves open utility for guiding chelation or monitoring.
Objective: Thalassemia is a genetic disorder of globin chain production in which there is an imbalance between alpha globin and beta globin chain production. Thalassemia patients require frequent blood transfusions to maintain adequate tissue oxygenation, which can cause a state of iron overload. NT pro BNP is a sensitive biomarker to detect cardiac iron overload. Our objective of this study was to estimate the level of NTproBNP in beta-thalassemia patients and to find out the correlation of NT pro BNP with serum ferritin levels and the number of blood transfusions.Methods: 50 thalassemic patients aged below 18 y with no known cardiac comorbidities were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The correlation between the levels of NT-pro BNP with serum ferritin and number of blood transfusions and chelation therapy was measured.Results: This study demonstrated that the levels of NT Pro BNP were elevated in thalassemia patients with a positive correlation with serum ferritin values and the number of blood transfusions which the patients received.Conclusion: This Study also concluded that NT Pro BNP can be used as a biochemical marker used to detect early stages of cardiac failure and also to identify patients going for heart failure, especially in resource-limited settings.
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Kariyappa et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Thalassemia (n=50). Serum ferritin ≥2000 µg/l vs. Serum ferritin <2000 µg/l was evaluated on Mean NT-pro BNP levels (pg/dl) (p=<0.001). NT-proBNP levels were significantly elevated in pediatric thalassemia patients with serum ferritin ≥2000 µg/l compared to those with <2000 µg/l (219.82 vs 78.82 pg/dl, p<0.001).
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