Prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and relevant risk factors among thalassmia patients having referred to Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization Clinical Laboratory of Tehran

Background and ObjectivesThalassemia is the most common hereditary anemia in Iran. Despite improved hematologic care, multi endocrine dysfunction is a common complication in these patients. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in patients including both thalassemia major and thalassemia intermedia. Materials and MethodsIn this descriptive cross sectional study, a questionnaire was designed for 195 patients who were reffered to Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization Clinical Laboratory of Tehran from Thalassemia Clinic in Winter 2007. The following items were brought up in the questionnaire: sex, age, height, weight, splenectomy time, amount of transfused blood, blood transfusion interval, desferoxamine dosage, type of thalassemia (major or intermedia), serum thyroid hormones, and ferritin levels. Then, the correlation of thyroid functional status with age, serum ferritin level, type of thalassemia, splenectomy and desferoxamine dosage was evaluated in both β thalassemia major and thalassemia intermedia groups. ResultsWe had 178(91.3%) β thalassemia major (50.6% male, 49.4% female with the mean age of 17.2 ± 8 years) and 17(8.7%) thalassemia intermedia (23.5% male, 76.5% female with the mean age of 23.2 ± 8.8 years). One hundred sixty two (83.1%) patients were euthyroid, 27 (13.8%) had subclinical hypothyroidism (CI 95%= 9-18.6), and 6(3.1%) were primary hypothyroid (CI 95% = 0.7-5.5). Mean ferritin levels for euthyroid group were 1923 ± 1470 ng/ml, for subclinical hypothyroidism group 1723 ± 1346 ng/ml, and for primary hypothyroidism 1569 ± 734 ng/ml, respectively. No significant correlation was found between abnormal thyroid function (subclinical and primary hypothyroidism) and serum ferritin levels (p=0.55), age (p=0.11), type of thalassemia (p=0.68), splenectomy (p=0.62) and desferoxamine dosage (p=0.33). ConclusionsBased on our results, thalassemia patients present a sort of thyroid dysfunction such as hypothyroidism. So, more effective treatment with desferoxamine and regular follow up of patients for evaluation of thyroid function satus are recommended.