Iron Overload in Patients With Heavily Transfused Sickle Cell Disease—Correlation of Serum Ferritin With Cardiac T2* MRI (CMRTools), Liver T2* MRI, and R2-MRI (Ferriscan®) (original) (raw)

The role of MRI-R2* in the detection of subclinical pancreatic iron loading among transfusion-dependent sickle cell disease patients and correlation with hepatic and cardiac iron loading

Insights into Imaging

Objectives Pancreatic reserve could be preserved by early assessment of pancreatic iron overload among transfusion-dependent sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. This study aimed to measure pancreatic iron load and correlate its value with patients’ laboratory and radiological markers of iron overload. Materials and methods Sixty-six SCD children and young adults underwent MRI T2* relaxometry using a simple mathematical spreadsheet and laboratory assessment. Results The results indicated moderate-to-severe hepatic iron overload among 65.2% of studied cases. None had cardiac iron overload. Normal-to-mild iron overload was present in the pancreas in 86% of cases, and 50% had elevated serum ferritin > 2500 ug/L. There was no significant correlation between pancreatic R2* level, serum ferritin, and hepatic iron overload. Patients with higher levels of hemolysis markers and lower pre-transfusion hemoglobin levels showed moderate-to-severe pancreatic iron overload. Conclusion Chronicall...

Cardiac iron overload in sickle-cell disease

American Journal of Hematology, 2014

Chronically transfused sickle cell disease (SCD) patients have lower risk of myocardial iron overload (MIO) than comparably transfused thalassemia major (TM) patients. However, cardioprotection is incomplete. We present the clinical characteristics of six patients who have prospectively developed MIO, to identify potential risk factors for cardiac iron accumulation. From 2002 to 2011, cardiac, hepatic, and pancreatic iron overload were assessed by R 2 and R 2 * magnetic resonance imaging techniques in 201 chronic transfused SCD patients as part of their clinical care. At the time, they developed MIO, five of six patients had been on chronic transfusion for more than 11 years; only one was on exchange transfusion. The time to MIO was correlated with reticulocyte and hemoglobin S percentages. All patients had qualitatively poor chelation compliance (<50%). All patients had serum ferritin levels >4600 ng/ml and liver iron concentration >22 mg/g. Pancreatic R 2 * was >100 Hz in every patient studied (5/6). Cardiac iron rose proportionally to pancreas R 2 *, with all patients having pancreas R 2 *>100 Hz when cardiac iron was present. MIO had a threshold relationship with liver iron that was higher than observed in TM patients. In conclusion, MIO occurs in a small percentage of chronically transfused SCD patients and is only associated with exceptionally poor control of total body iron stores. Duration of chronic transfusion is clearly important but other factors, such as levels of effective erythropoiesis, appear to contribute to cardiac risk. Pancreas R 2 * can serve as a valuable screening tool for cardiac iron in SCD patients.

Absence of cardiac siderosis by MRI T2* despite transfusion burden, hepatic and serum iron overload in Lebanese patients with sickle cell disease

European Journal of Haematology, 2009

In the past, most patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) were not placed on regular transfusion regimens. However, several recent reports have recommended transfusion therapy for this patient population to prevent primary or recurrent neurovascular complications (1). Although transfusions may help to minimize disease-specific morbidity and mortality in this condition, they are not without their own side effects. In b-thalassemia major patients, chronic transfusion therapy often results in massive iron overload in the liver, heart, and endocrine glands, leading

Cardiac iron overload in chronically transfused patients with thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, or myelodysplastic syndrome

PloS one, 2017

The risk and clinical significance of cardiac iron overload due to chronic transfusion varies with the underlying disease. Cardiac iron overload shortens the life expectancy of patients with thalassemia, whereas its effect is unclear in those with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA), iron does not seem to deposit quickly in the heart. Our primary objective was to assess through a multicentric study the prevalence of cardiac iron overload, defined as a cardiovascular magnetic resonance T2*<20 ms, in patients with thalassemia, SCA, or MDS. Patient inclusion criteria were an accurate record of erythrocyte concentrates (ECs) received, a transfusion history >8 ECs in the past year, and age older than 6 years. We included from 9 centers 20 patients with thalassemia, 41 with SCA, and 25 with MDS in 2012-2014. Erythrocytapharesis did not consistently prevent iron overload in patients with SCA. Cardiac iron overload was found in 3 (15%) patients w...

Long-term Erythrocytapheresis is Associated With Reduced Liver Iron Concentration in Sickle Cell Disease

Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology, 2015

Erythrocytapheresis procedures are increasingly used in sickle cell disease. Serum ferritin and noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging measurements of liver iron concentration (LIC) are frequently used to monitor iron overload secondary to hypertransfusion. There is a paucity of data describing the impact of long-term erythrocytapheresis (LTE) on LIC. We measured magnetic resonance imaging liver and cardiac iron on LTE subjects and stratified them into 2 groups: higher LIC (>3 mg/g) and lower LIC (<3 mg/g). χ and t test were used to test for differences between the 2 groups. Logistic regression and generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to test what impacted LIC. None of 29 sickle cell disease subjects maintained on LTE had high cardiac iron concentration. LIC was associated with serum ferritin (r=0.697, P<0.001) but was not associated with the total number of LTE procedures (r=-0.088, P=0.656) or total number of simple transfusions (r=0.316, P=0.108). The total ...

Liver Iron Content (LIC) in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD): Correlation with Serum Ferritin and Liver Enzymes Concentrations in Trasfusion Dependent (TD-SCD) and Non-Transfusion Dependent (NT-SCD) Patients

Mediterranean journal of hematology and infectious diseases, 2017

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing damage and dysfunction in multiple organs. The complications of this disease are numerous, affect every organ and/or tissue in the body and vary considerably among patients over the time challenging its management. To determine the iron status of 17 patients with non-transfusion-dependent sickle cell disease ( NT-SCD) patients and six patients with transfusion dependent sickle cell disease (TD- SCD) using both serum ferritin level (SF) and Ferriscan® evaluation of liver iron content (LIC). We correlated the values of LIC with SF levels and some hepatic enzymes (alanine transaminase-ALT, aspartate aminotransferase -AST, alkaline phosphatase -ALP and albumin). 17 adults with NT-SCD (n = 17, age: 32±15 years) were studied. Seven of NT-SCD had SF > 500 μg/L, 4 out of the seven had high liver iron measured by FerriScan® (> 30 mg/g/ tissue dry weight - dw). Two patients had high LIC ...