Effect of desferrioxamine on urinary copper and zinc excretion in beta-thalassemia major patients

Twenty-one P-thalassemia major patients were included to study urinary zinc and copper excretion before and after high dose desferrioxamine (DF). The mean basal zinc excretion (1193.72 +/- 1079.64 mu g/24 hr) was higher than the mean zinc excretion observed in controls (427.6 +/- 74.37 mu g/24 hr) ( P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between urinary copper leve ls of patients (185.48 +/- 175.45 mu g/dl) and the control group (150.0 +/- 37 mu g/dl) (P > 0.05). No significant difference was observed between the mean basal zinc levels and zinc levels after treatment (1751.06 +/- 1462.7 2 mu g/24 hr) (P > 0.05). Although the mean copper excretion was decreased following DF treatment (164.16 +/- 117.8 mu g/dl), the difference was not s ignificant (P > 0.1). There was a significant interaction for urinary coppe r and zinc excretion (r = 0.413; P < 0.05). J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 13:195 -198, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.