Immunophenotypic Evaluation of Circulating Monocyte Subsets in Beta Thalassemia Major Patients

Abstract

Βeta Thalassemia, a very common health problem in Egypt, is a genetic hemoglobinopathy in which the synthesis of β-globin chains is abnormally inhibited or absent. The degraded products of unbound α-globin subunits lead to ineffective erythropoiesis and peripheral hemolysis. In β-thalassemia major, individuals usually present with anemia as early as the first year of life and require lifelong blood transfusion (once every 3-4 weeks). Transfused patients suffer from iron overload deposition in various organs which causes damage and dysfunction. Compliance with iron chelation therapy mainly reduces frequency and severity of the iron overload related complications.