Abstract
In this study, we investigated how splenectomy affects natural killer (NK) cell levels in patients with β-thalassemia major (β-TM). Seventy patients with β-TM (38 splenectomized and 32 nonsplenectomized) and 25 healthy controls were included in this study. The hemogram parameters, ferritin, T lymphocyte, T-helper cell, T-suppressor cell, and NK cell numbers, were measured. The T lymphocyte (CD3+) level was found to be significantly higher in the patient group (p < 0.05). CD3+/CD4+ T lymphocytes were detected to be significantly higher in the patient group (p < 0.05). Although the CD3+/CD4+ T lymphocyte level was significantly higher in the nonsplenectomy group (p < 0.05), this was not the case in the splenectomy group. When the patient and control groups were compared, no significant difference was detected regarding CD3+/CD8+ T lymphocyte levels. CD3-/CD16+CD56+ NK cell level was found to be significantly lower only in the splenectomy group than in the control group (p < 0.05). We found that there was a significant negative correlation between serum ferritin levels and both total lymphocyte (r = -0.617) and CD3+ lymphocyte (r = -0.718) levels in the control group (p < 0.05). A significant negative correlation was detected between serum ferritin levels and CD3-/CD16+CD56+ NK cell levels in the patient group (r = -0.410) (p < 0.05). Splenectomy reduces NK cell levels in patients with β-TM. The negative relationship between ferritin levels and NK cells indicates that ferritin levels should be kept under control in patients with β-TM.
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