الفهرس 
Review of LiteratureOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Thalassaemia is an inherited disorder occurs in Mediterranean region and results from a defect in beta chain synthesis of haemoglobin. Also, thalassaemic patients usually have elevated levels of fetal haemoglobin. Also, regular blood transfusions must be done to these patients. This type of blood transfusions subjects such patients to viral infection as well as peroxidative tissue injury by the secondary iron overload. This is because iron is biochemically dangerous because it catalyzes the conversion of hydrogen peroxide into free radicals such as the reactive oxygen species and the hydroxyl radicals through Fenton-type reaction. These radicals attack the cell membrane, proteins and amino acids causing their damage. Therefore, desferrioxamine (desferal) is the first-line drug to catch iron from the circulation and protect organs damage. Therefore, this study was designed to study the effect of desferal treatment on the oxidative stress in thalassaemic patients. The effect of stopping of such treatment on the oxidative stress was also evaluated. Complete blood picture as well as haemoglobin electrophoresis were done for the diagnosis of thalassaemic patients. In addition, iron status including ferritin, iron and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) in sera of such patients was also studied. Moreover, the activity of glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase in blood and sera of thalassaemic patients as enzymatic antioxidants and GSH level as non-enzymatic antioxidants. In addition, MDA as a reflector of lipid peroxidation was also done. As well as, routine liver function tests were also done to some of the thalassaemic patients. The results of the present study also showed that the elevation of MDA in RBCs of the thalassaemic patients compared with that of the control group can be used as an accurate test for detection of the dramatically increasing amount of free radical in thalassaemic patients. In addition, one can not neglect the role of the iron chelator (desferal) that acts successfully in preventing iron toxicity of the organs and tissues of the thalassaemic patients but it can not compensate the higher increase in free radicals and so in the lipid peroxidation. Moreover, our study suggests that there is an oxidative stress on the body organs in thalassaemic patients which needs an external dosage of antioxidants beside the usual desferal treatment.