NON-TRANSFERRIN BOUND IRON AS A SENSITIVE INDEX FOR IRON OVERLOAD IN MULTI-TRANSFUSED THALASSEMIC PATIENTS

Abstract

Thalassemia is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin and it is the most common chronic hemolytic anemia which affects thousands of people around the world.

Diagnosis of B-thalassemia needs regular follow up of the patients and multiple investigations which are laboratory, Radiologic and sometimes pre-implantation and pre-natal diagnosis for early detection of B­ thalassemia in infants of affected or canier parents.

Treatment of thalassemia 1s by repeated blood transfusion which results in iron overload that leads to cardiac complications, hepatic complications and others so it must be diagnosed accurately, the most accurate method for diagnosis of iron overload is measurement and detection of NTBL In this study we discussed the superior of measurement of NTBI on other methods as serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, TffiC and semm iron in diagnosis of iron overload and we discussed different methods for detection of NTBI which discovered that NTBI present only in sera of thalassemic patients and not found in sera of normal individuals.