Aortic elasticity changes in thalassemia due to heart and liver iron deposition

Iron overload is connected with an expanded prevalence of thalassemia due to heart impairment. This considers pointing to survey changes in thalassemia's aortic elasticity due to iron deposition in the heart and liver of children.

This case-control study was performed on 80 healthy and 160 thalassemia patients. The subjects gathered from educational pediatric hospital of Ali Asghar in Zahedan, Iran, from 2019 to 2021. Echocardiography parameters were measured. Ferritin, lipids profile, cardiac and liver MRI T2 * measured in patients only. Aortic elasticity parameters were aortic strain, aortic stiffness β index, aortic distensibility and pressure strain elastic modulus. Data analyzed by SPSS,p< 0.05 was considered as significant.

Diastolic blood pressure (p<0.001), aortic diameter in diastole (p<0.001), aortic diameter in systole (p<0.001), ferritin (p<0.001), aortic strain (p<0.001), aortic distensibility(p<0.001), pressure strain elastic modulus (p<0.001) and aortic stiffness β index (p<0.001) were changed significantly in thalassemia patients compared to controls. From these variables, AoD, AoS, ferritin, AS and AD increased in thalassemia.  Ferritin was higher in thalassemia patients with abnormal heart iron deposition (2131.89±1992.74 v.s 4887.66±3122.59 ng/ml). Considering the level of liver iron deposition, ferritin did not change in patients.  Our highlighted variables did not change in patients based on the groups of ferritin.

Concluded that AoD, AoS, ferritin, AS and AD increased in thalassemia patients.  Ferritin increased in thalassemia with abnormal iron overload in the heart but did not change in the liver. Recommended MRI T2* to evaluate dynamic functions of liver and heart in thalassemia patients.