Characterization of Iron Complexes in the Red Blood Cells of β-thalassaemia patients using 57Fe Mössbauer Spectroscopy

Red Blood Cells (RBCs) samples from healthy volunteers, β-thalassaemia major and β-thalassaemia intermedia patients were studied by means of 57Fe Mossbauer Spectroscopy (MS). The MS spectra from the RBCs of the thalassaemia patients showed the existence of significant amounts of ferritin-like iron, and in particular in the 82% of the β-thalassaemia intermedia ones. Also, β-thalassaemia intermedia patients were found to have higher Liver Iron Concentration (LIC) when compared to the β-thalassaemia major patients, as assessed by MRI exams, even though they had on an average about half the serum ferritin levels.