Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Adipose tissue dysfunction can play a role in the neuroendocrine and haematopoietic dysfunctions affecting thalassaemic patients.

Aim of the work: In this work, we aimed to study the serum levels of adiponectin, an adipocytokine, in Egyptian β-thalassemia patients in relation to their endocrinal complications.

Subjects and methods: The study included 60β-thalassaemia patients; (major, intermedia, and minor) and 30 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. The diagnosis of thalassemia was based on clinical, haematological, and genetic studies. Anthropometric measurements, clinical neuroendocrinal assessment, iron profile (serum ferritin, serum iron, and total iron binding capacity) and measurment of serum levels of adiponectin using ELISA were performed for all subjects. Our β-thalassemia major and intermedia patients had significantly lower BMI, shorter height, lower weight, delayed growth and puberty while thalassemia minor patients showed no significant delay in puberty compared with healthy controls.

Results: A significantly higher level of adiponectin was found in thalassemic patients (median=3.5 ng/ml) compared to controls (median=0.4 ng/ml) with the level becoming progressively higher with degree of clinical severity (median=0.6 ng/ml in minor, 2.5 ng/ml in intermedia, and 4.3 ng/ml in major). The level of adiponectin was negatively correlated to height, weight, and BMI in both thalassemia intermedia and major while it was negatively correlated to puberty only in thalassemia major patients. A clinically significant level of adiponectin was obtained at >0.8 ng/ml for delayed puberty and iron overload (high serum iron and serum ferritin).

Conclusion: We found that high adiponectin levels correlated to iron overload and delayed growth in both β-thalassemia major and intermedia patients as well as to delayed puberty in thalassemia major.