Transfusion burden in early childhood plays an important role in iron overload in Diamond‐Blackfan anaemia
Jonathan R. A. deWilde,
Birgit vanDooijeweert,
Annelies J. vanVuren,
Elise J. Huisman,
Frans J. Smiers,
Arian vander Veer,
Richard vanWijk,
Wouter W. vanSolinge,
Edward E. S. Nieuwenhuis,
Eduard J. vanBeers,
Marije Bartels
Affiliations
Jonathan R. A. deWilde
Central Diagnostic Laboratory‐Research University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
Birgit vanDooijeweert
Central Diagnostic Laboratory‐Research University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
Annelies J. vanVuren
Centre for Benign Haematology Thrombosis and Haemostasis Van Creveldkliniek University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
Elise J. Huisman
Department of Paediatric Haematology Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam The Netherlands
Frans J. Smiers
Department of Paediatric Haematology Leiden University Medical Centre Leiden Leiden The Netherlands
Arian vander Veer
Department of Paediatric Haematology Maastricht University Medical Centre Maastricht The Netherlands
Richard vanWijk
Central Diagnostic Laboratory‐Research University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
Wouter W. vanSolinge
Central Diagnostic Laboratory‐Research University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
Edward E. S. Nieuwenhuis
Department of Paediatric Haematology University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
Eduard J. vanBeers
Centre for Benign Haematology Thrombosis and Haemostasis Van Creveldkliniek University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
Marije Bartels
Department of Paediatric Haematology University Medical Centre Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
Abstract In Diamond‐Blackfan anaemia (DBA), iron overload (IO) is common in transfusion‐dependent patients, yet has also been reported in non‐transfusion‐dependent patients. We explored the incidence of IO in transfusion‐dependent and non‐transfusion‐dependent DBA patients. We observed hepatic IO in 65% of patients analysed with MRI, including three patients that were only treated with transfusions in the past. Whereas overall ferritin levels and liver iron content correlated, ferritin levels did not reflect total body iron adequately. Our data suggest that transfusion burden in the past plays an important role in IO in DBA, and should be taken into account during follow up.
