Elevated endogenous alveolar carbon monoxide concentration in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia and its relation to ineffective erythropoiesis

Blood transfusion is a principal treatment for thalassemia at present, but there is still an absence of effective examination to evaluate the efficacy of blood transfusion and judge the timing of blood transfusion. Carbon monoxide (CO) breath test is a non-invasive and rapid examination way that could dynamically monitor red blood cell destruction in patients with thalassemia. A total of 61 patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia and 21 healthy controls were recruited in the study.