Studies of the renal involvement in thalassemic syndromes have been va
ried and few. This study was designed to define the renal abnormalitie
s associated with beta-thalassemia and to correlate the renal findings
with clinical parameters. One hundred and four beta-thalassemic child
ren with various disease severity were studied. The patients were divi
ded into three groups: 48 with severe anemia [hematocrit(Hct) <25%], 3
1 on a hypertransfusion program and desferrioxamine treatment, and 25
with moderate anemia (Hct > 25%). The results were compared with 15 no
rmal children. Significantly higher levels of proteinuria and low mole
cular weight proteinuria were found in all patients compared with norm
al children. Aminoaciduria was detected in one-third of patients. Thal
assemic patients had significantly lower morning urine osmolarity, hig
her urine N-acetyl-beta-D-glucoseminidase and malondialdehyde (MDA, an
indicator of lipid peroxidation). Patients with severe anemia had sig
nificantly higher low-molecular weight proteinuria and MDA, and lower
confirmed the high frequency of renal abnormalities in beta-thalassemi
a patients and indicated some degree of proximal tubular dysfunction.
Severity of the abnormalities correlated with the degree of anemia and
were least severe in patients on hypertransfusion and desferrioxamine
therapy. This suggested that the damage might be caused by anemia and
increased oxidation induced by excess iron deposits.