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The Link of Pancreatic Iron with Glucose Metabolism and Cardiac Iron in Thalassemia Intermedia: A Large, Multicenter Observational Study
- Source :
- Journal of Clinical Medicine, Vol 10, Iss 5561, p 5561 (2021), Journal of Clinical Medicine, Journal of Clinical Medicine; Volume 10; Issue 23; Pages: 5561
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2021.
-
Abstract
- In thalassemia major, pancreatic iron was demonstrated as a powerful predictor not only for the alterations of glucose metabolism but also for cardiac iron, fibrosis, and complications, supporting a profound link between pancreatic iron and heart disease. We determined for the first time the prevalence of pancreatic iron overload (IO) in thalassemia intermedia (TI) and systematically explored the link between pancreas T2* values and glucose metabolism and cardiac outcomes. We considered 221 beta-TI patients (53.2% females, 42.95 ± 13.74 years) consecutively enrolled in the Extension–Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia project. Magnetic Resonance Imaging was used to quantify IO (T2* technique) and biventricular function and to detect replacement myocardial fibrosis. The glucose metabolism was assessed by the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Pancreatic IO was more frequent in regularly transfused (N = 145) than in nontransfused patients (67.6% vs. 31.6%; p < 0.0001). In the regular transfused group, splenectomy and hepatitis C virus infection were both associated with high pancreatic siderosis. Patients with normal glucose metabolism showed significantly higher global pancreas T2* values than patients with altered OGTT. A pancreas T2* < 17.9 ms predicted an abnormal OGTT. A normal pancreas T2* value showed a 100% negative predictive value for cardiac iron. Pancreas T2* values were not associated to biventricular function, replacement myocardial fibrosis, or cardiac complications. Our findings suggest that in the presence of pancreatic IO, it would be prudent to initiate or intensify iron chelation therapy to prospectively prevent both disturbances of glucose metabolism and cardiac iron accumulation.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
Heart disease
medicine.medical_treatment
Thalassemia
glucose metabolism
Splenectomy
iron overload
magnetic resonance imagining
pancreas
thalassemia intermedia
Carbohydrate metabolism
Gastroenterology
Article
Fibrosis
Internal medicine
medicine
business.industry
General Medicine
medicine.disease
medicine.anatomical_structure
Medicine
Myocardial fibrosis
Siderosis
Pancreas
business
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20770383
- Volume :
- 10
- Issue :
- 5561
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....e130e7e5785657edddd7337736aa7396