Comparison between desferrioxamine and combined therapy with desferrioxamine and deferiprone in iron overloaded thalassaemia patients

Desferrioxamine (DFX) alone (40-50 mg/kg/d s.c. over 8-12 h, five times weekly) was compared with combined DFX twice weekly and deferiprone (75 mg/kg/d) over 12 months in previously poorly chelated thalassaemia patients. Serum ferritin fell from 5506 +/- 635 mug/l (mean +/- SEM) to 3998 +/- 604 mug/l (P < 0.001; n = 14) in the DFX group and from 4153 +/- 517 mug/l to 2805 +/- 327 mug/l in the combined group (P < 0.01; n = 11). Deferiprone plus DFX produced a greater mean urine iron excretion (1.01 mg/kg/24 h) than iron intake from blood transfusion in each patient. Main side-effects were skin reactions (DFX alone), nausea and arthralgia (combined therapy). As chelation therapy, the combined protocol was as effective as DFX five times weekly.