Effect of the Hydoxyurea in Yemeni Transfusion-Dependent β-Thalassemia Patients

Abstract

The response to hydroxyurea (HU) therapy of 44 Yemeni transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (β-thal) patients in Sana’a City, Yemen, was assessed. All patients were treated with a dose of 15 mg/kg/day HU for 4–10 months. Thirty-six patients responded partially to HU with clinical improvement of anemia and extramedullary hematopoiesis features, whereas the rest remained almost at the same baseline levels of transfusion dependency. Hydroxyurea was shown to have a variable favorable effect on β-thal in Yemeni patients. Further study is required to identify the various response factors to HU therapy, as well as to investigate its long-term efficacy and safety.

Keywords:

• Hydroxyurea (HU) therapy
• thalassemia
• Yemen

Acknowledgments

Our thanks to all staff at YSTGBD, especially Mr. Gameel Ali Al-Khayati, the executive manager of YSTGBD and Mr. Ali Abdul-Wali Thabet, the manager of its branches; we are indebted to the patients and their families for their kindness, help, cooperation and support as without them this study could not have been undertaken. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Alison May, Cardiff, Wales, UK, for her advice and for editing this article.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.