Restrictive lung disease in β-thalassemia major is associated with
myocardial iron overload
Abstract
Background: Pulmonary dysfunction has been reported in patients with
β-thalassaemia major but data are conflicting and the association with
iron overload remains unclear. Objectives: To determine the pattern of
pulmonary dysfunction in patients with β-thalassaemia major and their
associations with iron overload. Methods: Subjects with β-thalassaemia
major were recruited for lung function assessment. Serum ferritin and
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of iron status of the
myocardium and the liver were used as surrogate indexes of body iron
content. A subgroup of this cohort provided data on the longitudinal
progress of their lung function. Results: One hundred and one patients
were recruited with a mean age of 25.1 years (SD 7.9 years).
Thirty-eight (38%) and five (5%) had restrictive and obstructive lung
function deficits, respectively. There was a significant correlation
between MRI myocardial T2* relaxation time and forced vital capacity
(r=0.291, p=0.048). Higher MRI cardiac T2* relaxation time was
associated with lower risk of having restrictive lung function deficit
(Odds ratio (OR): 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89-0.99; p=0.023) after adjusting for
age, gender and BMI. Twenty-three subjects underwent lung function
reassessment with a mean follow-up duration of 13 years. Overall, they
did not demonstrate significant changes in pulmonary function over time,
3 patients who had normal lung function at baseline developed
restrictive abnormality at follow-up. Conclusions: Restrictive lung
disease is prevalent in patients with β-thalassaemia major, and the
severity correlates with myocardial iron overload. Monitoring of lung
function in this group of patients is important, particularly for those
with iron overload.