Leila Moinzadeh - ۱. Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Mohammad Reza Keramati - ۱. Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Mohammad Taha Jalali - ۲. Department of Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Para-medical Sciences, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Bejan Keikhaei - ۳. Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Jondishapour University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Najmaldin Saki - ۴. Health Research Institute, Research Center of Thalassemia & Hemoglobinopathy, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Amal Saki Malehi - ۵. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Zahra Mohammadi - ۱. Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Mohammad Mirdoraghi - ۶. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Para-Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Seyyede Fatemeh Shams - ۱. Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Mohammad Hadi Sadeghian - Cancer Molecular Pathology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Background and Aims: Thalassemia is one the most prevalent genetic anemia in the world; homozygote patients usually suffer from severe disturbances. Osteopenia and osteoporosis are of various types of thalassemia complications which increase in rate in patients with iron overload conditions. Sclerostin is a protein which enhances bone loss by inhibiting osteoblasts. The aim of this study was to measure sclerostin protein and its association with iron overload in major thalassemia patients. Materials and Methods: Forty patients with major beta-Thalassemia and ۴۰ healthy control individuals were includedin the study; Sclerostin protein and ferritin were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results: Mean sclerostin protein was ۱۰۰.۷ pg/ml, in the case group; it was ۱۴۳.۱ pg/ml in the control group.There was a significant differences between sclerostin protein in case and control groups (p= ۰.۰۱). The association of sclerostin and ferritin was not significant in the case group (p= ۰.۷), while  it was meaningful in the control individuals (p= ۰.۰۴). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that sclerostin protein can play an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis.

Beta-thalassemia, Ferritin, Iron, Sclerostin protein, beta-Thalassemia, Iron, sclerostin protein, ferritin, ELISA.