The goal of this cross-sectional observational study is to evaluate the accuracy of serum ferritin and serum hepcidin versus non-invasive scores in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis and iron overload in beta- thalassemia children. Researchers will measure and correlate serum ferritin, hepcidin and hepcidin/ferritin ratio in beta- thalassemia children with liver fibrosis. Researchers will also evaluate the performance of serum ferritin, hepcidin and hepcidin/ferritin ratio, AST to platelet ratio index (APRI) score, and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, for predicting significant fibrosis (\>=F2). Participants will undergo history-taking, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, serum ferritin, serum hepcidin, abdominal ultrasonography, and Fibroscan examination. The APRI, FIB-4, and hepcidin/ferritin ratio will be calculated. The performance of serum ferritin, hepcidin and hepcidin/ferritin ratio for predicting significant fibrosis will be compared versus other non-invasive scores.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
100
Serum ferritin is a protein that stores iron, and high serum ferritin levels can suggest iron overload, but are also a common indicator of other conditions like inflammation, liver disease, or metabolic syndrome.
Hepcidin hormone has been found to be a key regulator of iron homeostasis. It controls plasma iron levels by regulating two key steps in iron metabolism, namely digestive iron absorption in enterocytes and iron recycling in macrophages. Hepcidin is synthesized predominantly in the hepatocytes, which is physiologically increased by elevated serum iron level and decreased by erythropoietic activity. Recently, hepcidin has been used as a new marker for evaluation of liver fibrosis in patients with thalassemia major.
Tanta University Hospitals
Tanta, Gharbyea, Egypt
measuring hepcidin level (nanogram/ml) for predicting iron overload
Time frame: through study completion, an average 6 months
measuring ferritin level (nanogram/ml) for predicting significant fibrosis
Time frame: through study completion, an average 6 months
measuring hepcidin level (nanogram/ml) for predicting significant fibrosis
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months
comparing serum ferritin versus non-invasive scores for significant fibrosis
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months
comparing serum hepcidin versus non-invasive scores for significant fibrosis
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months
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