Deferoxamine chelation may improve pituitary responses in thalassaemia

Deferoxamine [desferrioxamine] chelation therapy normalised growth hormone responses in 2/2 patients with beta thalassaemia/HbE disease, and normalised the prolactin response in 1/2 patients.

Evaluable adult patients, who had received no previous chelation therapy elected to continue (n = 13; controls) or to receive SC infused deferoxamine 2 g/day 6 days/week for 18 months (9). 11/31 patients enrolled were still prepubertal. No changes in bodyweight or height occurred in responding patients. Chelation therapy had no effect on other abnormal responses to pituitary stimulation detected at baseline. These included cortisol, follicle-stimulating hormone, leuteinising hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone responses. Vannasaeng S. Fucharoen S. Pootrakul P. Ploybutr S. Yansukon P. Pituitary function in thalassemic patients and the effect of chelation therapy. Acta Endocrinologica 124: 23-30, Jan 1991 6021

ISSN 0156-270J/91/0413-0011/0S01.00/0 CAdis l111enlllliolUli LId

11 INPHARMA® 13 Apr 1991 _