Assessment of Serum Autophagy Related Protein Beclin-1 in Egyptian Adult Beta Thalassemia Patients

Beclin-1 has a significant role in autophagy process (Macro-autophagy). It functions through interaction with autophagy-related genes (Atgs) and other protein molecules during the process of autophagy.Here we assessed the level of serum autophagy related protein Beclin-1 in Egyptian adult beta thalassemia patients and studied its relation to ineffective erythropoiesis, transfusion requirements, iron overload.This case control study included 50 Egyptian adult beta thalassemia patients aged 18 years or more including transfusion dependent and non-transfusion dependent patients, and 25 healthy controls. The patients were selected from the Hematology Department of Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt.The median (IQR) Beclin-1 level was higher in patients group in comparison to control group with highly significant statistical difference {15ng/ml (13–22) Vs 2.5ng/ml (2–3), p value < 0.001}. We found a statistically significant positive correlation between Beclin-1 level and serum ferritin (r = 0.297, p value 0.036), a negative correlation between Beclin-1 level and EF% (r=-0.379, p value 0.007), this reflects that increased Beclin-1 was associated with iron overload especially cardiac iron overload. Statistically positive correlations between Beclin-1 and liver iron concentration, transfusion/year, serum ferritin, serum iron and transferrin saturation were also found.Elevated level of Beclin-1 in adult beta Thalassemia patients correlated with cardiac and liver iron overload.