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Iron Overload

Early iron reduction programme for thalassaemia patients after bone marrow transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 25, pages 653–656 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Thirty thalassaemia patients received iron reduction starting at around 3 months post transplant. Sixteen received desferrioxamine and nine had phlebotomy, five patients had desferrioxamine followed by phlebotomy. The desferrioxamine group had higher serum ferritin levels at the start of iron reduction as compared to the phlebotomy group (5292 vs 2453 μg/l, P EQ 0.001). After 444 and 407 days of iron reduction, serum ferritins at cessation of iron reduction in both groups was similar (665 vs 588 μg/l). The rate of decline of serum ferritin in both groups was similar. There was no graft rejection during the programme. Early institution of iron reduction in ex-thalassaemia is safe. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 25, 653–656.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Kent Tsang and Henry Pong for helping with chimerism status analysis. Also, thanks to the nursing staff of the Children's Cancer Centre in helping to run the iron depletion programme.

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  1. Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    CK Li, DH Lai, MMK Shing, KW Chik, V Lee & PMP Yuen

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  1. CK Li
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  2. DH Lai
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  6. PMP Yuen
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Li, C., Lai, D., Shing, M. et al. Early iron reduction programme for thalassaemia patients after bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 25, 653–656 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1702212

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