Tehran University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research 2008-2207 10 2 2016 04 12 92 98 EN Mohammad Reza Ravanbod Assistant Professor, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran Ali Movahed Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran Afshin Ostovar Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran Ali Haji gholami Assistant Professor, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran Gholamreza Khamisipour Assistant Professor, Department of Laboratory Sciences, Bushehr University of Medical sciences, Bushehr, Iran Shokrollah Farrokhi Department of Immunology, Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran Hossein Darabi Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of medical sciences, Bushehr, Iran Yasaman Khosravi Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of medical sciences, Bushehr, Iran Mohammad Kazzem Gheybi Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of medical sciences, Bushehr, Iran 2015 10 11 2015 10 28 Background: Patients with β-thalassemia major (TM) develop iron overload through increased iron absorption and transfusional therapy and it’s the most important complication of TM. Thalassemia is common in coastal regions and lands with low altitudes. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of high and low altitude on serum ferritin and treatment requirement in two groups of β-thalassemia major (TM) patients. Subjects and Methods: Patients were divided into two groups, the first group (No: 50) living at sea level (in the port of Bushehr, Iran) and the second group (No: 40) living at the altitude of 2061 m (in the city of Shahrekord, Iran). All patient’s clinical history, blood transfusion and laboratory tests including complete blood count and hemoglobin electrophoresis were reviewed. Results: There were no significant difference in ferritin levels, transfusion period and diabetes incidence of the two cities patients (P> 0.05). Patient’s cardiac function and liver condition were significantly better in patients of Bushehr (P<0.05). Patients under 20 years in Bushehr were less splenectomized in comparison with Shahrekord (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our result showed that some of clinical manifestations of patients in low altitude such as cardiac and liver condition were better. But it did not affect ferritin level probably due to transfusion and chelating therapy. Totally patients of Bushehr had better conditions and had longer survivals. https://ijhoscr.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijhoscr/article/view/343 https://ijhoscr.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijhoscr/article/download/343/493