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posted on 2025-02-12, 11:21 authored by Saba Abd Al WahabSaba Abd Al Wahab

Background: Beta-thalassemia is caused by mutations that affect several phases of beta-globin protein synthesis. Patients with β-thalassemia often have blood transfusions and suffer from iron overload. Individuals diagnosed with thalassemia may be prone to infections resulting from bacteria or fungi, such as Candida albicans. Aims: This study primarily aims to examine the correlation between iron, ferritin concentrations, and C. albicans infection in individuals with beta-thalassemia major and beta-thalassemia minor compared with healthy subjects. Materials and methods: This research involved ninety participants, thirty patients with thalassemia major and thirty patients with thalassemia minor compared with thirty healthy controls. Saliva samples were obtained and cultivated to isolate, identify, and calculate the viable colony count of C. albicans in (cfu/ml). In contrast, serum levels of iron and ferritin were quantified using chemical analyzers. Result: The results showed that 73.33 % of the thalassemia major group exhibited oral C. albicans colonization, which is significantly higher than that of the thalassemia minor group 40% and control group 6.67%. Biochemical analyses revealed significantly higher iron 278.82 µg/dl and ferritin 2783.80 ng/ml levels in the major group p<0.001 when compared with both thalassemia minor group 122.652 µg/dl, 74.723 ng/ml and control groups 127.438 µg/dl and 63.150 ng/ml respectively. C. albicans colony count in saliva was significantly elevated in the beta-thalassemia major, as compared with the beta-thalassemia minor group and control group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that iron overload, which results from recurrent blood transfusions and causes immune dysfunction, contributes to the higher risk of oral fungal infections in Beta-thalassemia patients compared with controls.

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