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Thalass. Rep., Volume 15, Issue 4 (December 2025) – 2 articles

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13 pages, 3457 KB  
Article
Temporal Changes in Quality of Life and Psychological Burden of Patients with Thalassemia: A Comparative Data Analysis from 2018 to 2025
by Nikos Rikos, Marilena Tzagkaraki, Antigoni Linardaki, Maria Moloudaki and Manolis Linardakis
Thalass. Rep. 2025, 15(4), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/thalassrep15040011 - 6 Nov 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Thalassemia significantly affects the mental well-being and lifestyle of patients and their families. This study evaluated the temporal changes in quality of life (QoL) and psychological burden among thalassemia patients in 2025 and in relation to 2018. Methods: Two cross-sectional samples of [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Thalassemia significantly affects the mental well-being and lifestyle of patients and their families. This study evaluated the temporal changes in quality of life (QoL) and psychological burden among thalassemia patients in 2025 and in relation to 2018. Methods: Two cross-sectional samples of patients (n = 236) were recruited during 2025 (n1 = 117) and 2018 (n2 = 119) at the Thalassemia Units on Crete/Greece. The EQ-5D-3L Quality of Life Scale, the EQ VAS Index, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used through multiple logistic regression analysis to assess relative parameters. Results: High mean Health Status (EQ VAS Index) and QoL scores remained consistent from 2018 to 2025, anxiety mean levels were low and remained consistent from 2018 to 2025, depression levels were low but higher in 2025 in relation to 2018 (p = 0.041), anxiety significantly exceeded depression in both 2018 and 2025, better QoL was associated with improved health status and reduced anxiety and depression, and individuals with children exhibited significantly lower odds of experiencing low or moderate QoL. Conversely, each unit increase in the Anxiety score significantly increased the odds of low or moderate QoL (OR = 1.26, p = 0.002). Similarly, each unit improvement in health status significantly reduced the odds of low or moderate QoL (OR = 0.97, p = 0.009). Conclusions: Health status and QoL remained consistent from 2018 to 2025, while depression levels increased. Anxiety significantly exceeded depression, and better QoL was associated with improved health status and reduced anxiety and depression. Full article
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Review
The Interplay Between β-Thalassemia and the Human Virome: Immune Dysregulation, Viral Reactivation, and Clinical Implications
by Didar Hossain and Mohammad Jakir Hosen
Thalass. Rep. 2025, 15(4), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/thalassrep15040010 - 3 Oct 2025
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Abstract
β-thalassemia is a chronic genetic blood disorder characterized by defective β-globin synthesis, requiring frequent transfusions and resulting in iron overload, immune dysfunction, and increased susceptibility to infections. In these immunocompromised patients, altered immune responses lead to significant changes in the human virome, promoting [...] Read more.
β-thalassemia is a chronic genetic blood disorder characterized by defective β-globin synthesis, requiring frequent transfusions and resulting in iron overload, immune dysfunction, and increased susceptibility to infections. In these immunocompromised patients, altered immune responses lead to significant changes in the human virome, promoting viral persistence, reactivation, and expansion of pathogenic viral communities. This review explores the intricate relationship between β-thalassemia and the human virome, focusing on how clinical interventions and immune abnormalities reshape viral dynamics, persistence, and pathogenicity. Patients with β-thalassemia exhibit profound innate and adaptive immune dysregulation, including neutrophil dysfunction, T cell senescence, impaired B cell and NK cell activity, and expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. These alterations create an immunological niche that favors viral reactivation and virome expansion. Iron overload enhances viral replication, while chronic transfusions introduce transfusion-transmitted viruses. Splenectomy and allo-HSCT further compromise viral surveillance. Additionally, disruptions in the gut virome, particularly bacteriophage-driven dysbiosis, may exacerbate inflammation and impair host–virus homeostasis. The human virome is not a passive bystander but a dynamic player in the pathophysiology of β-thalassemia. Understanding virome–immune interactions may offer novel insights for infection monitoring, risk stratification, and precision therapies in thalassemic patients. Full article
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