Erythrocyte labile iron pool indicating concealed iron overload in non-transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia

Abstract

Not only do transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients have a risk of clinical consequences arising from iron overload, non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT) patients may encounter it also. In this study, we demonstrated the usefulness of intra-erythrocyte labile iron pool (LIP) measurement in NTDT patients with HbE/β-thalassemia in revealing a concealed iron overload and the resultant oxidative cell damage.

Keywords

• labile iron pool
• iron overload
• non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia
• oxidative stress
• erythrocyte vesicles