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Journal of Leukemia

Journal of Leukemia
Open Access

ISSN: 2329-6917

+44 1300 500008

Abstract

Comparative Study of Deferiprone and Silymarin versus Deferiprone and Placebo as Iron Chelators in Children with Beta Thalassemia with Iron Overload

Adel A Hagag, Mohamed S Elfrargy, Mokhtar Abd Elfatah and Aml Ezzat Abd El-Lateef

Background: Beta thalassemia is an inherited hemoglobin disorder resulting in chronic hemolytic anemia requiring life-long blood transfusion that cause iron overload. Silymarin plays a role as an iron chelator in iron overloaded patients. The aim of this work was to compare the iron chelating efficacy of combination therapy of oral Deferiprone and silymarin with oral Deferiprone and placebo. Patients and methods: This study was conducted on 40 children with beta thalassemia major under follow up at Hematology Unit, Pediatric Department, Tanta University Hospital in the period between October 2012 and October 2013 with their serum ferritin levels more than 1000 ng/ml and they was divided in two groups. Group I: Received oral Deferiprone and silymarin for 6 months. Group II: Received oral Deferiprone and placebo for 6 months. Results: In the current study, there were no significant differences in the initial serum ferritin, serum iron and TIBC levels between group I and group II but after regular chelation therapy, serum ferritin and serum iron were significantly lower and TIBC was significantly higher in group I than group II. No statistically significant difference in serum creatinine, blood urea, ALT, AST and serum bilirubin levels between Group I and Group II before and after chelation therapy. Conclusion: From this study we concluded that, Deferiprone in combination with silymarin are better iron chelators in iron-loaded thalassemic patients than Deferiprone and placebo.

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