%0 Journal Article %T Final adult height and endocrine complications in young adults with ¦Â-thalassemia major (TM) who received oral iron chelation (OIC) in comparison with those who did not use OIC %A Ashraf T Soliman %A Mohamed A. Yassin %A Vincenzo De Sanctis %J Archive of "Acta Bio Medica : Atenei Parmensis". %D 2018 %R 10.23750/abm.v89i2-S.7084 %X Background: Relatively little is known about endocrine function, bone mineral health, and growth during oral iron chelation therapy in ¦Â-thalassemia major patients (TM) on treatment with deferasirox. Aims of the study: To study the frequency of endocrine complications, IGF-1 levels and final adult standing height (FA-Ht) in patients with BTM in two groups of adult patients. Patients and methods: The first group (Group A; 15 patients, 6 females and 9 males) received oral iron chelation therapy (OIC) with deferasirox for 6 years before puberty; the second group (Group B;40 patients) attained the FA-Ht before the use of OIC (iron chelation therapy with deferoxamine (DFO) given subcutaneously, since the age of 2 years). In both groups liver iron concentration was measured using FerriScan£¿ R2-MRI method. Furthermore, the FA-Ht, body mass index (BMI), and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in a selected group of adult patients [9 with normal growth hormone (GH) secretion (GHN) and 8 with GH deficiency (GHD; peak GH response to provocative test with clonidine: <7 ng/ml), who were on iron chelation therapy with DFO given subcutaneously that was changed to oral deferasirox during the last 5-6 years. These 15 patients were not treated with rhGH. Results: Adults with BTM who received OIC for 6 years or more before attaining their FA-Ht, had lower liver iron concentration (LIC) assessed by FerriScan£¿ R2-MRI, fasting glucose level (FBG) and liver enzymes (ALT and AST), and a better FA-Ht expressed in standard deviation score (FA-Ht-SDS), and higher IGF-1 SDS versus those who did not receive OIC before attaining FA-Ht. The prevalence of endocrinopathies, including hypothyroidism and hypogonadism were significantly lower in Group A versus Group B. Comparison between the group with normal GHN and those with GHD showed that the FA-Ht-SDS of those with GHD (159.1¡À6.42 cm. Ht-SDS=-2.5¡À0.9) was significantly decreased compared to the group with NGH (Ht=163.5¡À5.2 cm, Ht-SDS=-1.74¡À0.83). The IGF-1-SDS did not differ between the two groups. Neither ferritin level nor IGF-1 concentrations were correlated with the Ht-SDS. The FA-Ht-SDS correlated significantly with the peak GH secretion (r=0.788, p=0.0008). The FA-Ht-SDS were positively related to their mid-parental height (r=0.58, P<0.01). Conclusions: The use of OIC years before the end of puberty was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of endocrinopathies, improvement of LIC and FA-Ht. The final adult height of patients with BTM and GHD was significantly shorter compared to their pears with NGH. rhGH therapy can be %K ¦Â-thalassemia major (BTM) %K final adult height (FA-Ht) %K growth hormone (GH) %K insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) %K liver iron concentration (LIC) %U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6179038/