Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37115218›Full record

ArticleEuropean radiology2023

Pancreatic fatty replacement as risk marker for altered glucose metabolism and cardiac iron and complications in thalassemia major.

Antonella Meloni, Mario Nobile, Petra Keilberg, Vincenzo Positano, Maria Filomena Santarelli, Laura Pistoia, Anna Spasiano, Tommaso Casini, Maria Caterina Putti, Liana Cuccia and 8 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in European radiology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Relationship of fat in the pancreas with cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 9 institutions in 1 country.

Antonella MeloniDepartment of Radiology, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Pisa, Italy.
Mario NobileSezione Di Scienze Radiologiche - Dipartimento Di Biopatologia E Biotecnologie Mediche, Policlinico "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy.
Petra KeilbergDepartment of Radiology, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Pisa, Italy.
Vincenzo PositanoDepartment of Radiology, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Pisa, Italy.
Maria Filomena SantarelliIstituto Di Fisiologia Clinica, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy.
Laura PistoiaDepartment of Radiology, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Pisa, Italy.
Anna SpasianoUnità Operativa Semplice Dipartimentale Malattie Rare del Globulo Rosso, Azienda Ospedaliera Di Rilievo Nazionale "A. Cardarelli", Napoli, Italy.
Tommaso CasiniCentro Talassemie Ed Emoglobinopatie, Ospedale "Meyer", Florence, Italy.
Maria Caterina PuttiDipartimento Della Salute Della Donna E del Bambino, Clinica Di Emato-Oncologia Pediatrica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Università Di Padova, Padua, Italy.
Liana CucciaUnità Operativa Complessa Ematologia Con Talassemia, ARNAS Civico "Benfratelli-Di Cristina", Palermo, Italy.
Pier Paolo BittiDipartimento Dei Servizi, Servizio Immunoematologia E Medicina Trasfusionale, Presidio Ospedaliero "San Francesco" ASL Nuoro, Nuoro, Italy.
Giuseppe MessinaCentro Microcitemie, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Giuseppe PeritoreUnità Operativa Complessa Di Radiologia, ARNAS Civico "Benfratelli-Di Cristina", Palermo, Italy.
Stefania RenneStruttura Complessa Di Cardioradiologia-UTIC, Presidio Ospedaliero "Giovanni Paolo II", Lamezia Terme, Italy.
Emanuele GrassedonioSezione Di Scienze Radiologiche - Dipartimento Di Biopatologia E Biotecnologie Mediche, Policlinico "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy.
Emilio QuaiaInstitute of Radiology, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Giustiniani, 2 Street, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Filippo CademartiriDepartment of Radiology, Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, Pisa, Italy.
Alessia PepeInstitute of Radiology, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Giustiniani, 2 Street, 35128, Padova, Italy. alessia.pepe@unipd.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6401-3829
Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio · ITAzienda di Rilievo Nazionale ed Alta Specializzazione · ITAzienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico "Paolo Giaccone" di Palermo · ITPresidio Ospedaliero · ITUniversity of Padua · ITAzienda Ospedale - Università Padova · ITAzienda ospedaliera "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli" · ITIstituto di Fisiologia Clinica · ITMeyer Children's Hospital · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis multicenter study assessed the extent of pancreatic fatty replacement and its correlation with demographics, iron overload, glucose metabolism, and cardiac complications in a cohort of well-treated patients with thalassemia major (TM).

methodsWe considered 308 TM patients (median age: 39.79 years; 182 females) consecutively enrolled in the Extension-Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia Network. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to quantify iron overload (IO) and pancreatic fat fraction (FF) by T2* technique, cardiac function by cine images, and to detect replacement myocardial fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement technique. The glucose metabolism was assessed by the oral glucose tolerance test.

resultsPancreatic FF was associated with age, body mass index, and history of hepatitis C virus infection. Patients with normal glucose metabolism showed a significantly lower pancreatic FF than patients with impaired fasting glucose (p = 0.030), impaired glucose tolerance (p < 0.0001), and diabetes (p < 0.0001). A normal pancreatic FF (< 6.6%) showed a negative predictive value of 100% for abnormal glucose metabolism. A pancreatic FF > 15.33% predicted the presence of abnormal glucose metabolism. Pancreas FF was inversely correlated with global pancreas and heart T2* values. A normal pancreatic FF showed a negative predictive value of 100% for cardiac iron. Pancreatic FF was significantly higher in patients with myocardial fibrosis (p = 0.002). All patients with cardiac complications had fatty replacement, and they showed a significantly higher pancreatic FF than complications-free patients (p = 0.002).

conclusionPancreatic FF is a risk marker not only for alterations of glucose metabolism, but also for cardiac iron and complications, further supporting the close link between pancreatic and cardiac disease. KEY POINTS: • In thalassemia major, pancreatic fatty replacement by MRI is a frequent clinical entity, predicted by a pancreas T2* < 20.81 ms and associated with a higher risk of alterations in glucose metabolism. • In thalassemia major, pancreatic fatty replacement is a strong risk marker for cardiac iron, replacement fibrosis, and complications, highlighting a deep connection between pancreatic and cardiac impairment.

Indexed as

beta-ThalassemiaCardiomyopathiesHeart DiseasesIron OverloadPancreatic DiseasesAdultContrast MediaFemaleFibrosisGadoliniumGlucoseHumansIronLiverMagnetic Resonance ImagingMyocardiumContrast MediaGadoliniumGlucoseIronMagnetic resonance imagingPancreasThalassemia

Identifiers

PMID37115218
PMCPMC10511559
OpenAlexW4367315252

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.