Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37560260›Full record

ArticleEClinicalMedicine2023

Clinical outcome and humoral immune responses of β-thalassemia major patients with severe iron overload to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination: a prospective cohort study.

Hussam Ghoti, Hala Zreid, Israa Ghoti, Arno R Bourgonje, Arjan Diepstra, Harry van Goor, Irit Avivi, Hisham Jeadi, Larissa E van Eijk, Günter Weiss

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Through the Eyes of the Recipient: Navigating Transfusion Services Amidst COVID-19 in Multi-Transfused Thalassaemic Patients.Indian journal of hematology & blood transfusion : an official journal of Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Hussam GhotiDepartment of Hematology, Al-Shifa Hospital, 51245, Gaza, Palestine.
Hala ZreidDepartment of Hematology, Al-Shifa Hospital, 51245, Gaza, Palestine.
Israa GhotiHuman Medicine, European University of Cyprus, 2404, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Arno R BourgonjeDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Arjan DiepstraDivision of Pathology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Harry van GoorDivision of Pathology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Irit AviviHematology Division, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 64239, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Hisham JeadiDepartment of Hematology, Al-Shifa Hospital, 51245, Gaza, Palestine.
Larissa E van EijkDivision of Pathology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Günter WeissDepartment of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 has raised special concern for patients with β-thalassemia major (β-TM) due to frequent comorbidities, regular blood transfusions, and iron overload. However, the exact implications of COVID-19 for patients with β-TM remain uncertain. We aimed to explore the COVID-19 incidence and severity, and the serological response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in patients with β-TM. Methods: Patients with β-TM ( Findings: Patients with β-TM showed a higher incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection than the general population (61.9% vs. 7.1%, p < 0.0001). Most patients with β-TM had asymptomatic (70.8%) or mild disease (26.1%), with no fatalities recorded. COVID-19 illness was more severe among female than male patients with β-TM. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were significantly higher in symptomatic patients with β-TM than controls post-infection (geometric mean ÷ geometric standard deviation 1299.0 ÷ 3.3 vs. 555.7 ÷ 2.4 AU/mL, p = 0.009) and post-vaccination (8404.0 ÷ 3.9 vs. 2785.6 ÷ 5.0 AU/mL, p = 0.015). Similar responses were observed when comparing splenectomised to non-splenectomised (both asymptomatic and symptomatic) patients with β-TM post-infection (595.4 ÷ 3.9 vs. 280.7 ÷ 3.5 AU/mL, p = 0.005) and post-vaccination (13,778.2 ÷ 3.2 vs. 4961.8 ÷ 4.1 AU/mL, p = 0.045). Interpretation: This distinctive β-TM cohort exhibited a high susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection but mild disease course. Our findings support favourable serological responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and to vaccination in patients with β-TM, indicating a potential interplay between iron availability and COVID-19-related immunity. Funding: This study was funded by Mr. Hosam and Wasim s. El Helou.

Indexed as

COVID-19Humoral immune responseInnate immune functionIronIron chelationSplenectomyVaccinationβ–thalassemia major

Identifiers

PMID37560260
PMCPMC10406963

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.