Abstract #1201

Tang H, Tosti C, Jensen J, Sheth S, Swaminathan S, Hultman K, Hordof A, Brown A, Brittenham G, Olivieri N, Brown T, Printz B, Azabagic A, Altmann K

In this study we have used a multi-echo spin echo CPMG-like technique and a T2 quantification model to estimate the amount of hemosiderin iron and ferritin iron in the myocardial tissue of 13 patients with thalassemia major. We have found a strong correlation between our parameter related to the ferritin concentration and reduced echo shortening fraction. Our parameter related to the hemosiderin concentration is less correlated with the changes in heart function. These results suggest that ferritin is more closely related to cardiac dysfunction in thalassemia major.