Identification of osteopenia and osteoporotic changes in pediatric thalassemia patients at thalassemia center, Misan city, Iraq; An intervention study

Abstract

Background: Thalassemia syndrome is a heterogeneous group of hereditary disorders affecting the synthesis of globin chains of adult hemoglobin's, leading to ineffective erythropoiesis, hemolysis, and moderate to severe anemia. To identify the incidence of osteopenia and osteoporosis and it is relation to some of the probable risk factors of decreasing BMD among thalassemia patients attended Misan thalassemia center in Misan city in Iraq.
 Methods: A randomized cross-sectional study, applied through a period from September 2020 to September 2021, on 50 thalassemia patients attended thalassemia Center Amarah, Misan, Iraq. 24 were males and 26 were females, we divided them in to two groups according to age (10-14) years, (>14-18) years. They were scanned for bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine.
 Results: 90% of patients had reduction in BMD patients mostly among THM patients. 40% had positive family history of thalassemia, Vitamin D3 level were low in (80%) of patients & DEXA studies were mostly between [(-1) -(-2.5)] before treatment that slightly improved after therapy in ranges of osteopenia but not in osteoporosis which increase severity as well.
 Conclusions: Most thalassemia patient had severe anemia, corrected by frequent blood transfusion are complicated by increasing serum ferritin level and decreasing level of vitamin D3 in association with reduction in bone density mass in ranges of osteopenia and osteoporosis which correlates positively with increasing ages, early age at diagnosis and female gender this altered bone mass density require family awareness for better nutrition and optimum medical therapy and compliance to improve outcomes.