Effects of iron overload and treatment methods on serum levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA in beta thalassemia major (BTM)‎ patients

Abstract EN

This study is aimed to measure the serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), (IgM), and (IgG) in BTM patients with respect to their iron overload, and methods of treatment.

A total of 81 BTM patients were enrolled in the study among them 12 patients were just diagnosed under no treatment to serve as a second control group beside the first one which is composed of the healthy subjects.

All of the study groups (patients on scheduled blood transfusions, subcutaneous (Sc.) Desferrioxamine (DFO) infusions beside blood transfusion, who were also subdivided into spleenectomized and non spleenectomized patients) were compared firstly with the healthy controls, secondly with the newly diagnosed thalassemics and a third type of comparisons was done among the study groups themselves.

Blood samples were taken from every subject involved in the study to obtain the serum.

The results showed that in comparison of the DFO infusioned thalassemics with the healthy controls a highly significant (p › 0.01) increase in IgA, IgM, IgG were found.

In comparing the spleenectomized patients with the healthy controls a highly significant increase were found in IgA, IgG, IgM, (p › 0.01) while the non spleenectomized patients showed a highly significant increase in IgA, IgM(p › 0.01).

blood transfused thalassemics when compared to the newly diagnosed thalassemics showed a significant decrease in IgG and IgM levels(p › 0.05).

DFO infusioned thalassemics when compared to the newly diagnosed thalassemics showed a significant decrease in IgM (p › 0.05).

In comparing blood transfused with the DFO infused thalassemics, the latter group showed a significant increase in IgA, IgG and IgM (p › 0.05).In comparing the newly diagnosed thalassemics with the healthy controls, a highly significant increase was found in IgG(p › 0.01), while IgM showed a significant increase(p › 0.05).

The spleenectomized patients showed a significant increase in IgG only (p › 0.05) when compared to the non spleenectomized patients.

No significant correlation was found between serum levels of ferritin and any of the three immunoglobulins.It is concluded that repeated blood transfusion, iron overload, and spleenectomy are interacting contributing factors to the immune abnormality in BTM patients.