Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40993168›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

In transfusion-dependent thalassemia, neuronal damage biomarkers are associated with affective and chronic fatigue symptoms.

Maha Abdul Saheb Ridhaa, Hussein Kadhem Al-Hakeim, Mohammed K Kahlol, Tabarek Hadi Al-Naqeeb, Mengqi Niu, Michael Maes

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Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Maha Abdul Saheb RidhaaSichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China.
Hussein Kadhem Al-HakeimDepartment of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Kufa, Kufa, Iraq.
Mohammed K KahlolDepartment of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Kufa, Kufa, Iraq.
Tabarek Hadi Al-NaqeebMedical Laboratory Technology Department, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq.
Mengqi NiuSichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China.
Michael MaesSichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China. 770552576@qq.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) are vulnerable to neurotoxicity due to frequent blood transfusions and the subsequent iron overload (IO) and inflammation. This vulnerability may contribute to the development of depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This case-control study aims to investigate central nervous system injury biomarkers, including neuron-specific enolase (NSE), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light (NFL) and nestin, neuro-immune markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, hematocrit, hemoglobin, iron and ferritin in 126 children with TDT and 41 healthy children. We examined the associations between these biomarkers and the Fibro-Fatigue (FF) Rating Scale, the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) scores. Children with TDT showed significantly elevated FF, CDI, and SCAS scores, IO (as assessed using iron and ferritin levels), and higher NSE, GFAP, NFL, CRP, IL-6 and IL-10, and lower magnesium, zinc, and calcium as compared with healthy children. There were significant correlations between the CDI score and NFL, NSE and GFAP, SCAS score and NFL, and FF score and NFL and GFAP. The neuronal damage biomarkers were significantly associated with biomarkers of IO (including iron and ferritin) and the erythron (including lowered hematocrit and hemoglobin). These results suggest that IO-associated neurotoxicity and inflammation in children with TDT may contribute to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue and may serve as potential therapeutic targets.

Indexed as

BiomarkersFatigue Syndrome, ChronicNeuronsThalassemiaAdolescentBlood TransfusionCase-Control StudiesChildC-Reactive ProteinDepressionFemaleFerritinsHumansIron OverloadMaleBiomarkersC-Reactive ProteinFerritinsAnxietyChronic fatigue syndromeCytokinesDepressionInflammationNeuroimmune

Identifiers

PMID40993168
PMCPMC12460836

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