Thyroid Function in βββββ-Thalassemic Children Receiving Hypertransfusions with Suboptimal Iron-Chelating Therapy
Somchit Jaruratanasirikul MD*, Malai Wongcharnchailert MD*, Vichai Laosombat MD*, Pasuree Sangsupavanich MD*, Kalaya Leetanaporn MSc**
Affiliation : * Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla ** Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla
A cross-sectional study of thyroid function, free thyroxine (FT4) and thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations, was carried out in 51 transfusion-dependent β-thalassemic patients receiving suboptimal iron-chelating therapy. Nine patients had normal FT4 levels with elevated TSH levels (5.9-15.6 mIU/L), consistent with the diagnosis of compensated primary hypothyroidism and giving a prevalence of abnormal thyroid function of 17.6%. All patients with abnormal thyroid function had negative thyroid antibodies. No particular risk factor for abnormal thyroid function could be identified. Of the nine patients with compensated primary hypothy- roidism, one patient showed a further increase in TSH level after 1 year of follow-up. The results of the present study emphasize the importance of thyroid function monitoring in hypertransfused β-thalassemic patients.
Keywords : Hypothyroidism, Subclinical hypothyroidism, Thalassemia, Thyroid dysfunction
