జర్నల్ ఆఫ్ బ్లడ్ డిజార్డర్స్ & ట్రాన్స్‌ఫ్యూజన్

నైరూప్య

Myelodysplastic Syndrome: An Egyptian Experience

Noha M. El Husseiny, Shereef A. Mohamed and Mervat M. Mattar

Background: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) incidence is unclear because of historical lack of populationbased registration and possibly because of under diagnosis.

Purpose: To present some retrospective data on the epidemiology of Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in Egypt, as reflected by a single centre which is the largest tertiary referral center of Haematology in Egypt.

Patients and Methods: Patients diagnosed with MDS and referred to Clinical Haematology unit of Internal Medicine Department Cairo University, Egypt between 2007-2010 were identified. Complete demographic and clinical data, laboratory results, treatment modalities were collected and analyzed.

Results: Sixty nine patients with MDS were identified. Thirty nine (57%) females, thirty (43%) male subjects. Mean age was 55 years. Nine (13%) patients were positive for HCV. Mean ferretin level was 844 ng/ml and mean blood transfusion units were 12 units. Twelve (17%) patients were less than 40 years, 4 (5%) of them had RAEB. There were a strong correlation between ferretin and ALT (alanine transaminase) (r=0.415 P:0.002), ferretin and blood units (r=0.26 P:0.046) and negative correlation between ferretin and age (r=-0.27 p:0.03). Forty eight (70%) patients were from rural areas. Twenty five (36%) males were cigarette smokers. None of the females patients were smokers.

Conclusion: Mean age of presentation of MDS in Egypt is lower than developed countries. Pollution of water and use of insecticides and smoking are high risk factors for MDS among Egyptians while hair dyes and alcohol couldn’t be assessed due to cultural reasons. HCV role in pathogenesis of MDS still to be determined. Iron overload is a permanent feature of MDS. The higher mean ALT and ferretin levels and their positive correlation reflect the impact of under treatment of those patients with iron chelation therapy on progression of liver disease.