The aim of present study was to evaluate the association of thalassemia minor with suicide, impulsivity and ag-gression. The study group consisted of 293 suicidal subjects, 300 violent criminals and 300 control subjects. Thalas-semia trait was slightly more common in criminals (7.3%) than in controls (6.67%), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.75). Similarly, carrier trait was observed more in suicidal subjects (8.87%) though this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.3). Despite a plausible biological hypothesis, our study results do not support that thalassemia minor could be a risk factor for suicidal, impulsivity and aggressive behaviors.
KeywordsThalassemia MinorAggressionSuicide
D. Rund and E. Rachmilewitz, “Beta-Thalassemia,” New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 353, No. 11, 15 September 2005, pp. 1135-1146.
E. P. Vichinsky, “Changing Patterns of Thalassemia worldwide,” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 1054, 2005, pp. 18-24.
M. J. Cunningham, “Update on Thalassemia: Clinical Care and Complications,” Pediatric Clinics of North America, Vol. 55, No. 2, April 2008, pp. 447-460.
H. Abolghasemi, A. Amid, S. Zeinali, M. H. Radfar, P. Eshghi, M. S. Rahiminejad, M. A. Ehsani, H. Najmabadi, M. T. Akbari, A. Afrasiabi, H. Akhavan-Niaki and H. Hoorfar, “Thalassemia in Iran: Epidemiology, Prevention, and Management,” Journal of Pediatric Hematolo-gy/Oncology, Vol. 29, No. 4, April 2007, pp. 233-238.
A. Samavat and B. Modell, “Iranian National Thalassaemia Screening Programme,” BMJ, Vol. 329, No. 7475, 13 November 2004, pp. 1134-1137.
N. Ghotbi and T. Tsukatani, “Evaluation of the National Health Policy of Thalassaemia Screening in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, Vol. 11, No. 3, May 2005, pp. 308-318.
O. Giardini, F. Murgia, F. Martino, O. Mannarino, G. Corrado and G. Maggioni, “Serum Lipid Pattern in Beta-Thalassaemia,” Acta Haematologica, Vol. 60, No. 2, 1978, pp. 100-107.
A. W. Goldfarb, E. A. Rachmilewitz and S. Eisenberg, “Abnormal Low and High Density Lipoproteins in Homozygous Beta-Thalassaemia,” British Journal of Haematology, Vol. 79, No. 3, November 1991, pp. 481-486.
C. Katerelos, A. Constantopoulos, A. Agathopoulos, N. Constantzas, L. Zannos-Mariolea and N. Matsaniotis “Serum Levels of Retinol, Retinol-Binding Protein, Carotenoids and Triglycerides in Children with Beta-Thalassemia Major,” Acta Haematologica, Vol. 62, No. 2, 1979, pp. 100-105.
P. Fessas, G. Stamatoyannopoulos and A. Keys, “Serum-Cholesterol and Thalassemia Trait,” Lancet, Vol. 1, No. 7292, 1 January 1963, pp. 1182-1183.
C. Chrysohoou, D. B. Panagiotakos, C. Pitsavos, K. Kosma, J. Barbetseas, M. Karagiorga, I. Ladis and C. Stefanadis, “Distribution of Serum Lipids and Lipoproteins in Patients with Beta-Thalassaemia Major: An Epidemiological Study in Young Adults from Greece,” Lipids in Health and Disease, Vol. 3, No. 3, 15 March 2004.
M. Maioli, G. B. Vigna, G. Tonolo, P. Brizzi, M. Ciccarese, P. Donegà, M. Maioli and R. Fellin, “Plasma Lipoprotein Composition, Apolipoprotein, a Concentration and Isoforms in Beta-Thalassemia,” Atherosclerosis, Vol. 31, No. 1, 1 May 1997, pp. 127-133.
M. Maioli, S. Pettinato, G. M. Cherchi, D. Giraudi, A. Pacifico, G. Pupita and M. G. Tidore, “Plasma Lipids in Beta-Thalassemia Minor,” Atherosclerosis, Vol. 75, No. 2-3, February 1989, pp. 245-248.
H. Shalev, J. Kapelushnik, A. Moser, H. Knobler and H. Tamary “Hypocholesterolemia in Chronic Anemias with Increased Erythropoietic Activity,” American Journal of Hematology, Vol. 82, No. 3, March 2007, pp. 199-202.
P. A. Martínez-Carpio, J. Barba and A. Bedoyadel Campillo, “Relation Between Cholesterol Levels and Neuropsychiatric Disorders,” Reverend Neurol, Vol. 48, No. 5, 1-15 March 2009, pp. 261-264.
D. Lester, “Serum Cholesterol Levels and Suicide: A Meta-Analysis,” Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Vol. 32, No. 3, August 2002, pp. 333-346.
J. Brunner, K. G. Parhofer, P. Schwandt and T. Bronisch, “Cholesterol, Essential Fatty Acids, and Suicide,” Phar-macopsychiatry, Vol. 35, No. 1, January 2002, pp. 1-5.
B. A. Golomb, “Cholesterol and Violence: Is There a Con-nection?” Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol. 128, No. 6, 15 March 1998, pp. 478-487.
J. M. Santiago and J. E. Dalen, “Cholesterol and Violent Behavior,” Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 154, No. 12, 27 July 1994, pp. 1317-1321.
J. Vevera, “Cholesterol, Violence and Suicide--History of Errors,” Cas Lek Cesk, Vol. 145, No. 2, 2006, pp. 118- 122.
R. Manfredini, S. Caracciolo, R. Salmi, B. Boari, A. Tomelli and M. Gallerani, “The Association of Low Serum Cholesterol with Depression and Suicidal Behaviours: New Hypotheses for the Missing Link,” Journal of International Medical Research, Vol. 28, No. 6, November-December 2000, pp. 247-57.
J. R. Kaplan, M. F. Muldoon, S. B. Manuck and J. J. Mann, “Assessing the Observed Relationship Between Low Cholesterol and Violence-Related Mortality. Implications for Suicide Risk,” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 836, 29 December 1997, pp. 57-80.
Y. K. Kim, H. J. Lee, J. Y. Kim, D. K. Yoon, S. H. Choi and M. S. Lee, “Low Serum Cholesterol is Correlated to Suicidality in a Korean Sample,” Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Vol. 105, No. 2, February 2002, pp. 141-148.
H. J. Lee and Y. K. Kim, “Serum Lipid Levels and Suicide Attempts,” Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Vol. 108, No. 3, September 2003, pp. 215-221.
L. G, Almeida-Montes, V. Valles-Sanchez, J. Moreno- Aguilar, R. A. Chavez-Balderas, J. A. García-Marín, J. F. Cortés Sotres and G. Hheinze-Martin, “Relation of Serum Cholesterol, Lipid, Serotonin and Tryptophan Levels to Severity of Depression and to Suicide Attempts,” Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Vol. 25, No. 4, Septem-ber 2000, pp. 371-377.
J. Renaud, M. T. Berlim, A. McGirr, M. Tousignant and G. Turecki, “Current Psychiatric Morbidity, Aggres-sion/Impulsivity, and Personality Dimensions in Child and Adolescent Suicide: A Case-Control Study,” Journal of Af-fective Disorders, Vol. 105, No. 1-3, January 2008, pp. 221-228.
V. Arango, M. D. Underwood and J. J. Mann, “Serotonin Brain Circuits Involved in Major Depression and Suicide,” Progress in Brain Research, Vol. 136, 2002, pp. 443-453.
C. Van Heeringen, “Suicide, Serotonin, and the Brain,” Crisis, Vol. 22, No. 2, 2001, pp. 66-70.
O. Johnson, J. Becnel and C. D. Nichols, “Serotonin 5-HT(2) and 5-HT(1A)-like Receptors Differentially Modulate Aggressive Behaviors in Drosophila Melanogaster,” Neuroscience, Vol. 158, No. 4, 18 February 2009, pp. 1292-1300.
J. H. Meyer, A. A. Wilson, P. Rusjan, M. Clark, S. Houle, S. Woodside, J. Arrowood, K. Martin and M. “Colleton, Serotonin2A Receptor Binding Potential in People with Aggressive and Violent Behaviour,” Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Vol. 33, No. 6, November 2008, pp. 499-508.
M. Karimi, V. E. Marvasti, S. Motazedian and M. Sharifian, “Is Beta-Thalassemia Trait a Protective Factor against Hypertension in Young Adults?” Ann Hematol, Vol. 85, No. 1, January 2006, pp. 29-31.
F. A. Al-Quobaili and I. E. “About Asali Serum Levels of Lipids and Lipoproteins in Syrian Patients with Beta-Thalassemia Major,” Saudi Medical Journal, Vol. 25, No. 7, July 2004, pp. 871-875.
F. A. Kuypers, “Red Cell Membrane Lipids in Hemoglo-binopathies,” Current Molecular Medicine, Vol. 8, No. 7, November 2008, pp. 633-638.
S. Calandra, S. Bertolini, G. M. Pes, L. Deiana, P. Tarugi, L. Pisciotta, S. Li Volti, G. Li Volti and C. Maccarone, “Beta-Thalassemia is a Modifying Factor of the Clinical Expression of Familial Hypercholesterolemia,” Seminars in Vascular Medicine, Vol. 4, No. 3, August 2004, pp. 271-278.
C. Hartman, H. Tamary, A. Tamir, E. Shabad, C. Levine, A. Koren and R. Shamir, “Hypocholesterolemia in Children and Adolescents with Beta-Thalassemia Inter-media,” Journal of Pediatrics, Vol. 141, No. 4, October 2002, pp. 543-547.
G. Amendola, P. Danise , N. Todisco, G. D’Urzo, A. Di Palma and R. Di Concilio, “Lipid Profile in Beta-Thalassemia Intermedia Patients: Correlation With Erythroid Bone Marrow Activity,” International Journal of Laboratory Hematology, Vol. 29, No. 3, June 2007, pp. 172-176.
M. R. Namazi, “Minor Thalassemia May be a Risk Factor for Impulsiveness,” Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 60, No. 3, May 2003, pp. 335-336.
K. Hawton and K.van Heeringen, “Suicide,” Lancet, Vol. 373, No. 9672, 18 April 2009, pp. 1372-1381.