Abstract
Author(s): Dina A.A.Abdullah, Fatimah Kadhim Ibrahim AL- Mahdawi, Mazin Razooqi Mohammed, Ammar Kadi, Marouane Chemek, Irina Potoroko
In women with thalassemia, particularly those with beta-thalassemia major, levels of inhibin B can be decreased, especially in those with significant iron overload, and there can be damage to the Gonads (testes in males, ovaries in females). This study was designed to determine inhibin B levels. In women with thalassemia undergoing regular blood transfusions, 40 female patients were included in this study was transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia, with an age range of 18–20 years. All patients received blood transfusions at regular intervals (once/ month) to maintain a hemoglobin level of at least 10 gm/dl, all patients included in this study did not take iron Chelating therapy and have ferritin level > 4000 µg/L. A hormone assay was done with hormones using the COBAS e411 test (from Roche, company). They used ELISA to test for Inhibin B and did a statistical analysis that showed pituitary hormones dropped significantly in thalassemic women compared to healthy women (p-value <0.001) and ovarian hormones dropped significantly in thalassemic women compared to healthy women (p-value <0.00). Iron overload is transfusion-dependent. Thalassemia is often linked to several endocrine problems that throw off the body's hormones and ovaries. This can make it harder to get pregnant, so it's important to keep this patient's iron levels in check with the right iron-checking therapy.