Page 194 - Haematologica Vol. 110 - January 2025

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
olism in patients with β-thalassemia intermedia. Only a tem- porary reduction in NTBI levels was observed. Future studies have to demonstrate whether more frequent or higher doses of human apotransferrin may improve erythropoiesis and iron metabolism in patients with β-thalassemia intermedia.
Authors
Kadère Konté,1 Dorine W. Swinkels,2,3 Ilona Kleine Budde,4 Erfan Nur1,5 and Bart J. Biemond1
1Department of Clinical Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam; 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; 3Sanquin Blood Bank and Sanquin Diagnostics BV, Amsterdam; 4Prothya Biosolutions Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam and 5Department of Blood Cell Research, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Correspondence:
B.J. BIEMOND - b.j.biemond@amsterdamumc.nl
https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2024.285045
Received: January 15, 2024. Accepted: August 6, 2024. Early view: August 22, 2024.
©2025 Ferrata Storti Foundation Published under a CC BY-NC license
References
1. Galanello R, Origa R. Beta-thalassemia. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2010;5:11.
2. Pines M, Sheth S. Clinical classification, screening, and diagnosis in beta-thalassemia and hemoglobin E/beta- thalassemia. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2023;37(2):313-325.
3. Knutson MD. Non-transferrin-bound iron transporters. Free Radic Biol Med. 2019;133:101-111.
4. Taher AT, Saliba AN. Iron overload in thalassemia: different organs at different rates. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2017;2017(1):265-271.
5. Li H, Rybicki AC, Suzuka SM, et al. Transferrin therapy ameliorates disease in beta-thalassemic mice. Nat Med. 2010;16(2):177-182.
6. Gelderman MP, Baek JH, Yalamanoglu A, et al. Reversal of hemochromatosis by apotransferrin in non-transfused and transfused Hbbth3/+ (heterozygous B1/B2 globin gene deletion)
Disclosures
IKB works at Prothya B.V., the Netherlands. EN is a member of an entity’s board of directors or advisory committee of Novartis and received research funding from Novartis. BB received honorees for ad hoc advisory committees, invited lectures or pod-casts of CSL Behring, Novo Nordisk, Celgene/BMS, Pfizer, Novartis and Sanofi and has received research funding from Novartis, BMS, GBT/Pfizer, and Sanquin. DSW and KK have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Contributions
Data-analysis, interpretation of the data, and writing the manuscript by KK. Interpretation of the data and manuscript revision by DWS. Study conception and design, data acquisition, analysis, interpretation of the data, manuscript writing by IKB. Study conception and design, interpretation of the data and manuscript revision by EN. Study conception and design, data analysis, interpretation of the data and manuscript revision by BB.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the patients and caregivers for participation in the study and V.M. Tjon-A-Koy and M.D. Engel for assisting in performing the study.
Funding
Study was sponsored by Prothya Biosolutions Netherlands B.V.
Data-sharing statement
Data available on request due to privacy/ethical restrictions. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
mice. Haematologica. 2015;100(5):611-622.
7. Sahlstedt L, von Bonsdorff L, Ebeling F, Ruutu T, Parkinnen J.
Effective binding of free iron by a single intravenous dose of human apotransferrin in haematological stem cell transplant patients. Br J Haematol. 2002;119(2):547-553.
8. Huebers HA, Finch CA. Transferrin - physiologic behavior and clinical implications. Blood. 1984;64(4):763-767.
9. Wang EX, Albritton L, Ross SR. Identification of the segments of the mouse transferrin receptor 1 required for mouse mammary tumor virus infection. J Biol Chem. 2006;281(15):10243-10249.
10. Parkkinen J, Sahlstedt L, von Bonsdorff L, Salo H, Ebeling F, Ruutu T. Effect of repeated apotransferrin administrations on serum iron parameters in patients undergoing myeloablative conditioning and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Br J Haematol. 2006;135(2):228-234.
Haematologica | 110 January 2025
186