Liver Iron (liver + iron)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Terms modified by Liver Iron

  • liver iron concentration
  • liver iron content

  • Selected Abstracts


    Risk factors of fibrosis in alcohol-induced liver disease

    HEPATOLOGY, Issue 3 2002
    Bruno Raynard
    In patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), age, obesity, and diabetes mellitus are independent predictors of the degree of fibrosis. The relative risk for fibrosis adjusted for sex was also associated with increasing grade of Perls stain. The aim of this study was to determine whether the risk factors for fibrosis described in NASH are also risk factors in alcohol-induced liver disease. A total of 268 alcoholic patients with negative hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus serology underwent liver biopsy. Fibrosis was assessed semiquantitatively by a score fluctuating between 0 to 8. Liver iron overload was assessed by Perls staining and graded in 4 classes. We have used multivariate regression with partial correlation analysis to assess the variability of fibrosis score according to the value of 7 variables: sex, age, body mass index (BMI) in the past year before the hospitalization when the patient was asymptomatic, daily alcohol intake over the past 5 years, total duration of alcohol abuse, Perls grade, and blood glucose level. In the multivariate regression, fibrosis score was positively correlated with age (P = .001), BMI (P = .002), female sex (P < .05), Perls grade (P < .05), and blood glucose level (P < .05). Twenty percent of the variability of fibrosis score was explained by the 7 variables. In conclusion, after adjustment for daily alcohol intake and total duration of alcohol abuse, BMI, Perls grade, and blood glucose are also independent risk factors for fibrosis in alcohol-induced liver disease, raising therapeutic implications for the management of these patients. [source]


    Raised serum ferritin predicts non-response to interferon and ribavirin treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection

    LIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2002
    S Distante
    Abstract: Background/Aim: Previous studies have indicated that response to interferon therapy is inversely proportional to the amount of body iron stores. We have studied the relationship between serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, liver iron, presence of HFE-C282Y gene mutation and response to treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. Methods: Two hundred and fifty-six naive, HCV-RNA positive patients (60% males, median age 38 years, range 21,70) were treated with interferon and ribavirin for 6 months. Iron indices and the presence of the C282Y mutation were measured. In 242 (94%) patients iron deposition were determined by Perls staining method. Patients with negative HCV-RNA at 6 months after the end of treatment were defined as sustained viral responders. Results: Non-responders (n = 127) had significantly higher median s-ferritin values compared with sustained viral responders (130 µg/L vs. 75 µg/L P < 0.001). There was no difference in transferrin saturation among the two response groups. Only 23% (4/7) of patients with Perls grade 1 in liver biopsies responded to treatment vs. 54% (122/225) patients without iron deposition (P = 0.02), however, 10/13-non-responders had HCV genotype one. Two patients (0.8%) were homozygous for the C282Y mutation, 36 patients were heterozygous (14%). Among mutation carriers 26/38 achieved sustained response compared with 102/216 non-carriers (68% vs. 48%, P = 0.02). In a multivariate analysis s-ferritin (P = 0.030) and C282Y carrier status (P = 0.012) remained independent predict of sustained response. Conclusions: Raised s-ferritin values predicate non-response to interferon-ribavirin therapy in hepatitis C patients. Response rate in C282Y mutation carriers seems greater than in non-carriers. [source]


    Liver biopsy results in patients with sickle cell disease on chronic transfusions: Poor correlation with ferritin levels

    PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 1 2008
    Lina B. Karam MD
    Abstract Background: Chronic transfusions are effective in preventing stroke and other complications of sickle cell disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether serum ferritin levels correlated with liver iron content in sickle cell patients on chronic transfusion. Procedure: Forty-four liver biopsy specimens from 38 patients with homozygous sickle cell anemia (HbSS) and one patient with sickle thalassemia receiving chronic transfusions were studied. Five patients underwent a second liver biopsy for follow up. Three ferritin measurements were used to calculate a mean for each patient. The association between serum ferritin levels and liver iron quantitation was measured using the Spearman rank correlation, and sensitivity and specificity were determined for selected threshold values of serum ferritin. Results: Serum ferritin levels ranged from 515 to 6076 ng/ml, liver iron concentration ranged from 1.8 to 67.97 mg/g dry weight. The amount of iron per gram liver dry weight was moderately correlated with serum ferritin values (r,=,0.46). The correlation of duration of transfusion with serum ferritin (r,=,0.40) and with liver iron content (r,=,0.41) also indicated moderate correlation. Liver biopsy results led to changes in the management after 29/44 (66%) of the biopsies. Serum ferritin ,2500 ng/ml predicted high liver iron content (,7 mg/g), with a sensitivity of 62.5% and a specificity of 77.8%. Conclusion: We found a poor correlation between serum ferritin levels and liver iron content (LIC). Despite being on chelation therapy, many patients on chronic transfusion had high levels of liver iron. Measurement of LIC is highly recommended in these patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:62,65. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Myocardial iron clearance during reversal of siderotic cardiomyopathy with intravenous desferrioxamine: a prospective study using T2* cardiovascular magnetic resonance

    BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2004
    Lisa J. Anderson
    Summary Heart failure from iron overload causes 71% of deaths in thalassaemia major, yet reversal of siderotic cardiomyopathy has been reported. In order to determine the changes in myocardial iron during treatment, we prospectively followed thalassaemia patients commencing intravenous desferrioxamine for iron-induced cardiomyopathy during a 12-month period. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance assessments were performed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months of treatment, and included left ventricular (LV) function and myocardial and liver T2*, which is inversely related to iron concentration. One patient died. The six survivors showed progressive improvements in myocardial T2* (5·1 ± 1·9 to 8·1 ± 2·8 ms, P = 0·003), liver iron (9·6 ± 4·3 to 2·1 ± 1·5 mg/g, P = 0·001), LV ejection fraction (52 ± 7·1% to 63 ± 6·4%, P = 0·03), LV volumes (end diastolic volume index 115 ± 17 to 96 ± 3 ml, P = 0·03; end systolic volume index 55 ± 16 to 36 ± 6 ml, P = 0·01) and LV mass index (106 ± 14 to 95 ± 13, P = 0·01). Iron cleared more slowly from myocardium than liver (5·0 ± 3·3% vs. 39 ± 23% per month, P = 0·02). These prospective data confirm that siderotic heart failure is often reversible with intravenous iron chelation with desferrioxamine. Myocardial T2* improves in concert with LV volumes and function during recovery, but iron clearance from the heart is considerably slower than from the liver. [source]