Research Article

Assessment Serum Liver Enzymes, Bilirubin and Ferritin in β-Thalassemia Major and Intermedia Compared with Healthy Controls at Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital, Najaf

Abstract

Background: To assess serum liver enzymes, bilirubin and ferritin in Iraqi patients with β-thalassemia major and β-thalassemia intermedia compared with healthy controls. Methodology: In this study, 100 patients (57 females and 43 males) attending Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital in Najaf City were enrolled. They comprised 53 patients with β-thalassemia major and 47 patients with β-thalassemia intermedia. Results: The mean age of the patients was 14.28 years. In addition, the study included 30 healthy controls (16 males and 14 females) with an average age of 15.25 years. Both groups were matched for age, gender, socioeconomic status and residence. Serum GOT, GPT, ALP, total bilirubin and ferritin were significantly higher in both patient groups than in controls (P<0.001), with no significant difference in age, gender, WBC count, PCV or ferritin between the β-thalassemia major and intermedia groups. Conclusion: Pre-marital detection and medical analyses are crucial to avoiding thalassemia. However, because these tests are often neglected owing to unregistered (out-of-court) marriages and early marriage, the incidence of thalassemia has recently increased in Iraq.

Authors affiliation:

Aaya Hamid Al-Hakeem (ORCID): Department of Forensic Evidence, College of Medical Sciences, Jabir Ibn Hayyan University for Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Najaf, Iraq.
Hadeel Haider Aldujaili (ORCID): Department of Pathological Analyses, College of Medical Sciences, Jabir Ibn Hayyan University for Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Najaf, Iraq.

How To Cite: A.H. Al-Hakeem and H.H. Aldujaili. Assessment Serum Liver Enzymes, Bilirubin and Ferritin in β-Thalassemia Major and Intermedia Compared with Healthy Controls at Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital, Najaf. Journal of Biomedicine and Biosensors, 6(4):8–10, 2026. https://doi.org/10.58613/jbb642