Correlation between Heart and Liver Iron Levels Measured by MRI T2* and Serum Ferritin in Patients with β-thalassemia Major

Taghizadeh Sarvestani, Razieh; Moradveisi, Borhan; Kompany, Farzad; Ghaderi, Ebrahim

doi:10.22038/ijp.2016.6587

Correlation between Heart and Liver Iron Levels Measured by MRI T2* and Serum Ferritin in Patients with β-thalassemia Major

Authors

¹ School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran

² Pediatric department, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

³ Pediatric department, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Social Determinant of Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.

10.22038/ijp.2016.6587

Abstract

Background
Transfusion-induced iron overload leads to many complications in patients with β-thalassemia major. This study aimed to compare the level of iron stored in the liver and heart measured by MRI T2 * with ferritin levels in these patients.
Materials and Methods
This study was done on 52 patients with β-thalassemia major aged 7 to 29 years. Serum ferritin level was checked and heart and liver MRI T2* operation was performed, then the liver and heart iron level measured by MRI T2 * was compared with serum ferritin levels.
Results
150-180 cc/kg packed cells were received on average. The mean ± SD serum ferritin level was 2644.8±1988.3 ng/mL. The mean ± SD relaxation times in liver and heart MRI T2* were 4.39±5.8 and 26.59±10.62 millisecond, respectively. A negative significant correlation was found between serum ferritin levels and liver MRI T2* (P<0.05, r= -0.374). However, no statistically significant association was observed between serum ferritin levels and heart MRI T2*(P>0.05).
Conclusion
Since there was no correlation between serum ferritin levels and cardiac iron levels, accurate assessment of cardiac iron load using MRI T2* is necessary in patients with β-thalassemia major. Serum ferritin level is reliable for assessing liver iron levels.

Keywords