Table 2.
Demographic, clinical and laboratory features of a study population of 50 adults with thalassemia major, 19 patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and 31 without IDDM
| Variables | DM | No-DM | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| (N= 19) | (N= 31) | ||
| Sex (M/F) | 12/7 | 10/21 | NS |
| Age (yrs) | 42.1 ± 4.9 | 40.4 ± 3.5 | NS |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 22.9 ± 4.7 | 22.2 ± 2.9 | NS |
| Diabetes duration (years) | 20.7 ± 3.2 | NA | NA |
| HCV Ab (%) | 100 | 100 | NS |
| HCV-RNA (%) | 57.9 | 51.6 | NS |
| ALT (U/L)° | 52.1 ± 48.6 | 36.3 ± 32.4 | NS |
| γ GT (U/L)°° | 53.8 ± 64.9 | 21.1 ± 10.6 | < 0.05 |
| Serum ferritin (ng/ml) | 1169.4 ± 943.5 | 744.1 ± 548.6 | < 0.05 |
| IGF-1 (ng/ml) | 37.7 ± 17.5 | 65.4 ± 4.5 | < 0.001 |
| Hypogonadism (%) | 89.5 | 54.8 | < 0.05 |
| Hypothyroidism (%) | 47.4 | 16.1 | < 0.05 |
| Hypoparathyroidism (%) | 21.1 | 9.7 | NS |
| Global Heart T2* < 20 msec (%) | 40* | 9.5** | NS |
| LIC > 7 mg/g dry weight (%) | 15.8+ | 0 | NA |
Legend:
°
Alanine aminotransferase;
°°
gamma glutamyl transferase;
*
4/10 TM patients;
**
2/21 TM patients;
+
11/19 TM patients;
NA: not applicable.