The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma
coenzyme Q(10) (
CoQ(10)) concentration, a
vitamin-like substance found in every cell, which is also viewed as the most effective membrane
antioxidant, of thalassemic patients and investigate the effect of
chelating agents and
ferritin levels on its concentration in patients with β-
thalassemia major (β-TM). The study included 44 β-TM patients undergoing
deferasirox (
DFRA) or
deferoxamine (DFO) chelation monotherapies or combined
therapy with
deferiprone (L1) and DFO, 20 patients with β-
thalassemia (β-thal) traits and a control group of 22 healthy sex- and age-matched subjects. Complete blood counts, liver and renal function tests,
lipid profiles,
ferritin and plasma
CoQ(10) [by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)] were analyzed. The mean age (14.7 ± 7.3 years; median 14.3 years) and sex (26 males, 18 females) of the β-TM patients were not statistically different from the β-thal trait patients and the control group. The plasma
CoQ(10) concentration was 0.425 ± 0.136 μmol/L in β-TM patients, 0.508 ± 0.159 μmol/L in the β-thal trait patients and 0.534 ± 0.133 μmol/L in the control group. The difference was significant in both the β-TM (p < 0.001) and β-thal trait patients (p <0.05) compared to the control group. The
CoQ(10) concentration was also associated with
ferritin levels in β-TM patients; the β-TM patients with high
ferritin levels had a lower
CoQ(10) (p <0.05) concentration. Also, higher plasma
CoQ(10) levels were detected in β-TM patients undergoing
DFRA treatment, according to combined
therapy administered (0.457 ± 0.115 vs. 0.382 ± 0.127 mg/dL respectively, p <0.05). In conclusion, both the β-thal trait and β-TM patients have lower
antioxidant capacity as demonstrated by the lower
CoQ(10) levels. The type of
chelating agents and
ferritin levels are factors effecting
CoQ(10) concentration in β-TM patients.