Publication: Relationship between magnetic resonance imaging liver T2* value with alanine amino transferase (ALT) and albumin in transfusion dependent thalassemia patients during chelation therapy
| dc.contributor.author | Arrumugam, Sharmila | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-09T02:34:39Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-09T02:34:39Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2022 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: One of the commonest inherited disorders that affects the synthesis of haemoglobin is known as Thalassemia. It is classified depending on the abnormality that affects the synthesis of alpha and beta chains. Thalassemia patients are classified into TDT and non TDT. TDT patients who undergo monthly blood transfusion are predisposed to many bloods transfusion related complications such as iron overload mainly in organs such as cardiac, liver and pancreas. Many eventually succumb to their illness due to complications secondary to cardiac siderosis. The invention of iron chelation therapy does not only improve patients’ quality of life but also prolonged their life. Nowadays, due an increase in survival rate, liver related complication secondary to liver siderosis is increasingly witnessed amongst TDT patients. The discovery of MRI T2* liver as method of measuring liver iron concentration has played a vital role in the management of these patients, mainly in optimising chelation therapy. The lack of MRI facility in Malaysia, especially in rural areas have hampered management of TDT patients suffering from iron siderosis. Prompt, efficient, and apt chelation therapy promises better quality of life, and this is only achieved with proper analysis of the severity of the liver siderosis. Serum liver function test amongst TDT patients is done regularly and this investigation is widely available and gives quick results. In the hope to hasten MRI T2* liver study among these patients, we hope to look for a relationship between serum ALT and albumin level with MRI T2* liver value. In doing so, we can facilitate the clinicians to use these blood results as a guide to screen potential patients with a possibility of severe liver siderosis and send them for MRI T2* liver at an earlier time. This in return will help clinicians to expedite the chelation therapy and eventually help to reduce the risk of liver iron siderosis that leads to liver diseases. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in Hospital Seberang Jaya, ,Pulau Pinang, Malaysia with 358 patients who had been diagnosed as transfusion dependent thalassaemic patients and had undergone MRI T2* liver. MRI T2*liver was classified as MRI T2* liver values were taken with numerical values and categorised as, none (> 24), mild (7.2 – 24), moderate (3.3 -7.2), severe (2.2 -3.3) and very severe ( < 2.2). ALT and albumin levels were taken as numerical numbers. The descriptive statistics for discrete variables (age, gender, race, status of splenectomy, the type of thalassemia) were presented as n=frequency (%). Pearson chi square test was used to examine the correlation of T2* MRI liver with ALT and albumin values, respectively in TDT patients who underwent chelation therapy. Results: There were significant correlation between all related variables (p<0.050). ALT was negatively moderate correlated to T2(r=-0.54). Albumin was poorly positive correlated with T2 (r=0.11). Further studies with a larger number of subjects would be beneficial in the future. Conclusion: There were relationship between T2* MRI liver imaging findings with serum ALT and serum albumin amongst TDT patients, ALT was negatively moderate correlated to T2(r=-0.54) whereas albumin was poorly positive correlated with T2 (r=0.11). Further studies with a larger number of subjects would be beneficial in the future. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://erepo.usm.my/handle/123456789/24652 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia | |
| dc.subject | liver siderosis | |
| dc.title | Relationship between magnetic resonance imaging liver T2* value with alanine amino transferase (ALT) and albumin in transfusion dependent thalassemia patients during chelation therapy | |
| dc.type | Resource Types::text::thesis::master thesis | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oairecerif.author.affiliation | Universiti Sains Malaysia |