Zeitschrift für Leukämie
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Therapeutic Value of Silymarin as Iron Chelator in Children with Beta Thalassemia with Iron Overload

Adel A Hagag and Mokhtar Abd Elfatah

Beta thalassemia is an inherited hemoglobin disorder resulting in chronic hemolytic anemia. The most common treatment for thalassemia is blood transfusion which is necessary to provide the patients with healthy red blood cells containing normal hemoglobin. Repeated blood transfusion leads to iron overload. Excess iron is deposited in body organs as liver, heart and endocrine glands causing organ damage. Iron chelation therapy is the main way to treat iron overload in beta thalassemia major. Silymarin and its biologically active component Silybin are strong antioxidant and have documented iron chelating activities in patients with beta-thalassemia major. The aim of this review was to spotlight on the therapeutic value of silymarin as iron chelator in children with beta thalassemia major with iron overload.