New developments and controversies in iron metabolism and iron chelation therapy

Figure 3 Clearance of iron overload of the liver and heart of a thalassaemia patient using the deferiprone deferoxamine combination. The MR image changes before (A) and after (B) the L1/DF combination therapy. Short axis view of liver and heart of a thalassaemia patient at 4 mo before the L1/DF combination (A: Cardiac T2* was estimated as 9.3 ms and liver T2* as 3.8 ms. The serum ferritin was 727 μg/L, 2.5 mo before the MRI scan) and 9 mo after the combination (B: Cardiac T2* was estimated as 23.0 ms and liver T2* 26.2 ms. The serum ferritin was 166 μg/L, 0.5 mo after the MRI scan). Arrows indicate the liver and interventricular septum of the heart, respectively. Adapted from ref. [74]. MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging; L1: Deferiprone; DF: Deferoxamine.