Iron overload detection using pituitary and hepatic MRI in thalassemic patients having short stature and hypogonadism

Iron overload disorders: Growth and gonadal dysfunction in childhood and adolescence

Hemochromatosis (HC) is characterized by the progressive accumulation of iron in the body, resulting in organ damage. Endocrine complications are particularly common, especially when the condition manifests in childhood or adolescence, when HC can adversely affect linear growth or pubertal development, with significant repercussions on quality of life even into adulthood. Therefore, a timely and accurate diagnosis of these disorders is mandatory, but sometimes complex for hematologists without endocrinological support. This is a narrative review focused on puberty and growth disorders during infancy and adolescence aiming to offer guidance for diagnosis, treatment, and proper follow-up. Additionally, it aims to highlight gaps in the existing literature and emphasizes the importance of collaboration among specialists, which is essential in the era of precision medicine.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Quantification of the Liver Iron Burden and Volume Changes Following Treatment With Thalidomide in Patients With Transfusion-Dependent ß-Thalassemia

Clinical trials have indicated that thalidomide could be used to treat thalassemia, but evidence of changes in liver iron burden and liver volume during thalidomide treatment is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the liver iron burden and volume changes following thalidomide treatment in patients with transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia. A total of 66 participants with transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia were included in this prospective cohort study between January 2017 and December 2020. Patients were treated with thalidomide (150–200 mg/day) plus conventional therapy. Liver volume, liver R2*, and hepatic muscle signal ratio (SIR)_T1 and SIR_T2 were measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and serum ferritin, hemoglobin, erythrocyte and platelet counts, and liver function were measured at baseline and at the 3rd and 12th months. Adverse events were also noted. Patients showed progressive increase in hemoglobin, erythrocyte, platelet count, SIR_T1, and SIR_T2 during the 12-months follow up. Serum ferritin, R2*, and liver volume progressively decreased during the follow up. The R2* value had a significantly positive correlation with serum ferritin, and SIR_T1 and SIR_T2 had a significantly negative correlation with serum ferritin. No serious adverse events were observed. This study showed that thalidomide could potentially be used to successfully treat patients with transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia; the liver iron burden and liver volume could be relieved during treatment, and the MRI-measured R2*, SIR_T1, and SIR_T2 may be used to noninvasively monitor liver iron concentration.

Selective luminescent sensing of metal ions and nitroaromatics over a porous mixed-linker cadmium(ii) based metal–organic framework

A potential luminescent sensor based on porous metal organic framework for the detection of metal ions (Al3+, Fe3+ or Cr3+) and nitro-explosive, 2,4,6-tri-nitrophenol has been discovered. MOF is capable of detecting aqueous phase analyte through luminescent sensing.

Diagnosis of Systemic Diseases Using Infrared Spectroscopy: Detection of Iron Overload in Plasma-Preliminary Study

Despite the important role of iron in cellular homeostasis, iron overload (IO) is associated with systemic and tissue deposits which damage several organs. In order to reduce the impact caused by IO, invasive diagnosis exams (e.g., biopsies) and minimally invasive methods were developed including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. However, current diagnostic methods are still time-consuming and expensive. A cost-effective solution is using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for real-time and molecular-sensitive biofluid analysis during conventional laboratory exams. In this study, we performed the first evaluation of the accuracy of FTIR for IO diagnosis. The study was performed by collecting FTIR spectra of plasma samples of five rats intravenously injected with iron-dextran and five control rats. We developed a classification model based on principal component analysis and supervised methods including J48, random forest, multilayer perceptron, and radial basis function network. We achieved 100% accuracy for the classification of the IO status and provided a list of possible biomolecules related to the vibrational modes detected. In this preliminary study, we give a first step towards real-time diagnosis for acute IO or intoxication. Furthermore, we have expanded the literature knowledge regarding the pathophysiological changes induced by iron overload.

Pituitary Volume and Iron Overload Evaluation by 3T MRI in Thalassemia

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate pituitary volume and iron overload in beta thalassemia major, with the objective of assessing the reliability of this method in predicting hypogonadism.

METHODS

3T MRI was used to measure pituitary R2 and T2* in 57 beta thalassemia major patients and 30 controls. Anterior pituitary volume was evaluated by MRI planimetry. Cardiac, hepatic, and pancreatic iron overload were also assessed using MRI T2*. Mean serum ferritin was estimated by sandwich immuno-assay. Short stature was defined as height < 3 rd percentile for age, and clinical hypogonadism defined as absence of secondary sexual characteristics at ages ≥ 13 y for females and ≥ 14 y for males.

RESULTS

Short stature was present in 32 patients (56.1%). Of the 47 patients in the pubertal age group, 11(23.4%) had hypogonadism. Serum ferritin correlated positively with pituitary R2 (p = 0.004) and negatively with anterior pituitary volume (p = 0.006), whereas pituitary R2 correlated negatively with cardiac T2* (p = 0.001). Patients with hypogonadism had lower pituitary R2 (p = 0.186), T2* (p = 0.048), and anterior pituitary volumes (p = 0.012) compared to those with normal sexual maturity. Regardless of stature, no significant difference was observed between pituitary R2 (p = 0.267) and T2* (p = 0.451). Mean pituitary R2 in patients (78.99 Hz) was higher than in controls (20.8 Hz) (p = 0.0001). Anterior pituitary volume was lower in patients (264.83 mm³) than in controls (380.87 mm³) (p = 0.0001). A threshold value of 22.85 Hz for pituitary R2 gave a sensitivity of 84.2% and a specificity of 73.3% in distinguishing pituitary iron content of patients from controls, with an area of 0.864 under the ROC curve.

CONCLUSIONS

3T MRI is a reliable method to detect pituitary iron overload and predict risk of hypogonadism in beta Thalassemia.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Stature Growth Complications in β-thalassemia Major Patients

Background

Blood transfusion is a traditional treatment for β-thalassemia (β-thal) that improves the patients' anemia and lifespan, but it may lead to iron overload in parenchymal tissue organs and endocrine glands that cause their dysfunctions as the iron regulatory system can't excrete excess iron from the bloodstream.

Objective

To evaluate the prevalence of iron-related complications (short stature, growth retardation, and growth hormone deficiency) in β-thalassemia major (βTM) patients.

Methods

We performed an electronic search in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Sciences to evaluate the prevalence of growth hormone impairment in β-thalassemia major (βTM) patients worldwide. Qualities of eligible studies were assessed by the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for the prevalence study. We used Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (Version 2) to calculate the event rate with 95% CIs, using a random-effects model for all analyses.

Findings

Seventy-four studies were included from five continents between 1978 and 2019; 70.27% (Asia), 16.21% (Europe), 6.75% (Africa), 2.70% (America), 1.35% (Oceania), and 2.70% (Multicenter). The overall mean age of the participants was about 14 years. The pooled prevalence of short stature (ST) was 48.9% (95% CI 35.3-62.6) and in male was higher than female (61.9%, 95% CI 53.4-69.7 vs. 50.9%, CI 41.8-59.9). The pooled prevalence of growth retardation (GR) was 41.1% and in male was higher than in female (51.6%, 95% CI 17.8-84 vs. 33.1%, CI 9.4-70.2). The pooled prevalence of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) was 26.6% (95% CI 16-40.8).

Conclusion

Our study revealed that near half of thalassemia patients suffer from growth impairments. However, regular evaluation of serum ferritin levels, close monitoring in a proper institute, suitable and acceptable treatment methods besides regular chelation therapy could significantly reduce the patients' complications.

Relationship Between Pituitary Siderosis and Endocrinological Disorders in Pediatric Patients with Beta-Thalassemia

Introduction

Excess iron accumulation occurs mainly in organs such as reticuloendothelial cells, the pituitary gland, and the pancreas in beta-thalassemia because of blood transfusions. In the present study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between T2* values on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinically diagnosed pituitary endocrinological disorders in children with thalassemia major.

Methods

This study enrolled patients diagnosed with beta-thalassemia at pediatric hematology outpatient clinics. In the study, in addition to the medical history of the patients, routinely performed tests, including hemoglobin electrophoresis, routine biochemical tests, and tests for pubertal development (follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, testosterone, etc.), as well as iron deposition measured by hepatic MRI T2* (STAR) sequence, were retrospectively assessed. A total of 29 patients were enrolled.

Results

Hypothyroidism was detected in 34.6% (9/26) of patients, short stature in 37% (10/27), and pubertal retardation in 50% (14/28) of the patients. There was no significant correlation between hypothyroidism and pituitary MRI T2* values. No significant correlation was found between laboratory parameters and pituitary MRI examination. Although the sensitivity of T2* levels could rise above 80%, their specificity remained low. This is one of the major limitations of the pituitary MR T2* study for the prediction of short stature. The best lower cut-off level of MR T2* to predict short stature was found 14.6 ms.

Conclusion

The diagnostic specificity pituitary MR examination levels for short stature were detected as low. Thus, the clinical standardization and validation of pituitary MR T2* values examination are needed before clinical follow-up and multifaceted studies are needed.

Nickel Sensitivity Is Associated with GH-IGF1 Axis Impairment and Pituitary Abnormalities on MRI in Overweight and Obese Subjects

Nickel (Ni) is a ubiquitous metal, the exposure of which is implied in the development of contact dermatitis (nickel allergic contact dermatitis (Ni-ACD)) and Systemic Ni Allergy Syndrome (SNAS), very common among overweight/obese patients. Preclinical studies have linked Ni exposure to abnormal production/release of Growth Hormone (GH), and we previously found an association between Ni-ACD/SNAS and GH-Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) axis dysregulation in obese individuals, altogether suggesting a role for this metal as a pituitary disruptor. We herein aimed to directly evaluate the pituitary gland in overweight/obese patients with signs/symptoms suggestive of Ni allergy, exploring the link with GH secretion; 859 subjects with overweight/obesity and suspected of Ni allergy underwent Ni patch tests. Among these, 106 were also suspected of GH deficiency (GHD) and underwent dynamic testing as well as magnetic resonance imaging for routine follow up of benign diseases or following GHD diagnosis. We report that subjects with Ni allergies show a greater GH-IGF1 axis impairment, a higher prevalence of Empty Sella (ES), a reduced pituitary volume and a higher normalized T2 pituitary intensity compared to nonallergic ones. We hypothesize that Ni may be detrimental to the pituitary gland, through increased inflammation, thus contributing to GH-IGF1 axis dysregulation.