A Study of Iron Overload using Oral Exfoliative Cytology in Beta Thalassemia Major patients

INTRODUCTION: Beta Thalassemia are group of inherited disorder of haemoglobin synthesis caused by genetic mutations that reduce or prevent the synthesis of beta globin chain of haemoglobin. These patient requires regular blood transfusion therapy to overcome the effects of anemia leading to iron overload in the body tissues causing morbidity and mortality in these patient and hence it is essential to monitor the iron overload in these patients. AIM OF THE STUDY: To correlate iron overload in oral exfoliative buccal cells with serum ferritin level among Beta Thalassemia Major patient. MATERIALS AND METHOD: With the study group of 50 beta thalassemia patients with the control groups of 50 healthy subject their buccal squamous cells have scraped, smeared and stained with Perl’s Prussian blue method and compared with serum ferritin level. The sample are collected from pediatrics ward and general medicine ward. RESULTS: The exfoliated cells from buccal mucosa of 33/50 beta thalassemia major patients revealed positivity for Perls Prussian blue reaction with increased serum ferritin level when compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Perls prussian blue method is a non invasive, easy, cheaper method in analysing iron overload in these patients rather than the invasive procedures (bone marrow and liver biopsy)