Correlation of serum ferritin levels with hepatic MRI T2 and liver iron concentration in nontransfusion beta-thalassemia intermediate patients: A contemporary issue

ABSTRACTBackground: Beta-thalassemia intermediate is a genetic disease that is milder than beta-thalassemia major. The T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique is currently the gold standard for iron load detection. However, it is expensive and needs an expert radiologist to report findings. Therefore, we conducted this study to determine an optimal cut-off value of ferritin in proportion to T2 MRI of liver and measurement of liver iron concentration for early detection of hepatic iron overload in Beta-thalassemia intermediate patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 108 patients with Beta-thalassemia intermediate who referred to tertiary hospital, Shiraz, Iran. Serum ferritin, hepatic T2 MRI, and liver iron concentration were assessed. Receiver operator characteristic was used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of cut-off value. Results: Serum ferritin levels showed a statistically significant negative correlation with T2 hepatic MRI (r = −0.290, p value =.003) and p...