The relationship between immunologic system and ferritin levels in patients with transfusion dependent thalassemia: a retrospective single-center study

Aims: Thalassemia is an inherited anemia characterized by reduced or absent expression of ?- or ß-globulin genes (1). Transfusion dependent thalassemia (TDT) has an increased risk for serious infections, suggesting that a fundamental defect Methods: The study included 61 patients with TDT between the ages of 18 and 45 who were followed up in the hematology clinic of our tertiary care center between 2018 and 2023. For the determination of mononuclear cell surface markers, peripheral blood was processed according to standard procedures, labeled with monoclonal antibodies specific for CD4, CD8, CD3, CD19, and CD56, and analyzed by cytofluorometric analysis with a FACScan flow cytometer (Sysmex UF 1600). Results: In our study, CD4, CD8, CD3, CD19, and CD56 values, which are lymphocyte markers, were examined to evaluate the immune system of patients diagnosed with TDT, and it was observed that there was no significant correlation between these values and the annual infection frequency and mean ferritin values of the patients. Conclusion : The mean age of the 61 patients included in the study was 24.83±6.02 years, and 33 were female and 28 were male. The mean ferritin value was 3150.88±2553.51 ng/ml, and transferrin saturation was 42.42±14.43. The mean number of transfusions per year was 15.39±1.90, and the mean number of detectable infections per year was 2.85±2.02.