Stability of fetal hemoglobin levels in patients receiving metformin therapy

Boulassel, Mohamed-Rachid; El-Hussain, Abdal-Aziz Issa; Hassan, Moataz M; Toumi, M; Merzoug, Sameha; Al-Qarni, Zahra; Khan, Hammad; Gaifer, Zied; Al-Farsi, Khalil; Al-Khabori, Murtadha; Huneini, Mohamed Al; Kindi, Salam Al

doi:10.3324/haematol.2018.190967

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…There was no significant rise in HbF within the Metformin group by the end of the study. This is in line with the retrospective in vivo study conducted on three patients with polycystic ovaries and 4 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus taking metformin for at least 6 months and showed no rise in HbF levels [ 12 ]. However, this contradicts the data by one in vitro study where HbF increased by two-folds after two weeks of cell culture with 50 mM of metformin [ 9 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…It has been suggested that metformin, in vitro, can induce HbF in stem cells by activating FOXO3 [ 3 ]. However, evidence in vivo is still lacking [ 12 ] . To the best of our knowledge, this is the only in vivo study that assessed the effectiveness and safety of metformin on induction of HbF in Egyptian patients with NTDT over a period of six months.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inclusion criteria of enrolled subjects were male or female patients aged > 12 years with confirmed diagnosis of NTDT (defined as thalassemia patients who do not require frequent blood transfusions for survival, despite regular transfusions may be needed under certain conditions) [ 12 ]. All patients were on a stable fixed dose of HU over the last 3 months preceding the onset of study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Metformin as a Fetal Hemoglobin Inducer in Non-transfusion Dependent Thalassemia Patients

Eltagui

El-Ghamrawy

Al-Deeb

et al. 2023

Indian J Hematol Blood Transfus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Non-transfusion dependent thalassemia (NTDT) refers to a group of thalassemic disorders who do not need regular transfusions for survival, however it may be needed in certain conditions. Metformin was reported as a potential fetal hemoglobin (HbF) inducing agent in vitro but its efficacy and safety in vivo was not fully studied. This is a prospective interventional study aimed at studying the effect of metformin on HbF change in NTDT. Methods: Patients with established diagnosis of NTDT were enrolled. They were receiving a stable fixed dose of Hydroxyurea over the last 3 months. Patients were divided into two groups: a group that received Metformin for 6 months (Metformin group) and a control group. Complete blood picture, reticulocytic count, hemoglobin electrophoresis, liver enzymes, bilirubin, kidney functions, LDH and random blood sugar were performed at onset, 3 and 6 months of the study. All adverse events were recorded. Results: Forty two patients aged 12–23 years were enrolled. Metformin intake over 6 months did not show any statistically significant difference in clinical or the laboratory variables of efficacy when compared to the control group apart from reticulocytic count which was higher in Metformin group throughout the study. Conclusion: Metformin intake, in addition to hydroxyurea, did not yield any extra benefit among patients with NTDT.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Metformin as a Fetal Hemoglobin Inducer in Non-transfusion Dependent Thalassemia Patients

Eltagui

El-Ghamrawy

Al-Deeb

et al. 2023

Indian J Hematol Blood Transfus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…29,30 However, these findings are based on laboratory experiments with no clinical data. Two recent retrospective studies reported in vivo evidence of an increase in HbF level in response to metformin use in patients with SCD (N 5 18) 31 and those without SCD (N 5 7), 32 although neither reported statistically significant findings. Both studies were limited to a small number of patients, and neither examined the relationship between metformin use and SCD-related outcomes or health care utilization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Both studies were limited to a small number of patients, and neither examined the relationship between metformin use and SCD-related outcomes or health care utilization. 31,32 Therefore, the relation of metformin utilization to clinical outcomes and health care utilization in adults with SCD and DM, to date, has not been studied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%