Phenotypical and functional abnormalities of circulating neutrophils in patients with β-thalassemia

β-Thalassemia is an inherited single gene disorder related to reduced synthesis of the β-globin chain of hemoglobin. Patients with β-thalassemia present variable clinical severity ranging from asymptomatic trait to severe transfusion-dependent anemia and multiple organs complications. Moreover, multiple immune abnormalities are a major concern in β-thalassemia patients. Aberrant neutrophil effector function plays a pivotal role in infection susceptibility in these patients. In severe and persistent inflammation, immature neutrophils are released from the bone marrow and are functionally different compared with mature ones. Despite some abnormalities reported for thalassemia patient’s immune system, few data exist on the characterization of human neutrophils in β-thalassemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotype and function of circulating neutrophil subsets in patients with β-thalassemia major and with β-thalassemia intermedia divided in transfusion-dependent and non-transfusion-dependent. By the use of immunochemical and cytofluorimetric analyses, we observed that patients’ CD16+ neutrophils exhibit abnormalities in their phenotype and functions and the abnormalities vary according to the clinical form of the disease and to the neutrophil subset (CD16^bright and CD16^dim). Abnormalities include altered surface expression of the innate immune receptor CD45, Toll-like receptor 4, and CD32, reduced ability to produce an oxidative burst, and elevated levels of membrane lipid peroxidation, especially in patients with a more severe form of the disease. Overall, our results indicating the occurrence of an immuno-senescent phenotype on circulating neutrophils from thalassemia patients suggest the usefulness of neutrophil feature assessment as a tool for better clinical management of β-thalassemia.