| Abstrakt: |
Aims The present work seeks to ascertain immunological and biochemical characteristics in thalassemic individuals who have contracted giardiasis. Materials & Methods This experimental study was conducted at the Thalassemia Center in Thi-Qar province, Iraq, in 2022. Fifty patients (21 males and 29 females) and 20 healthy controls were investigated. Of the patients' group, twenty-five were thalassemic and had giardiasis. The other 14 patients were thalassemic and free of giardia infection, and the remaining 11 patients were non-thalassemic but had giardia infection. Five ml of venous blood from each participant was withdrawn to determine WBCs, neutrophil activity, and levels of IL-6, iron, ferritin, and transferrin. Findings The levels of interleukin-6 in the three patient groups (28.20, 23.29, and 30.94pg/ml) were considerably higher than those in healthy controls (16.09pg/ml). In patient groups, there was a notable rise in WBCs but a notable fall in neutrophil activity. Additionally, a substantial increase in iron and ferritin was found, although transferrin was lower in the patients than in the control group. Conclusion The thalassemia and giardia patients have greater iron and ferritin levels but much lower transferrin levels than the healthy individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
