title: Assessment of iron status of Zairean women of childbearing age by serum transferrin receptor.
abstract: Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), previously shown to be a sensitive indicator of tissue iron deficiency, was used to assess iron status of 104 Zairean women (69 lactating, 19 pregnant, and 16 nonpregnant, nonlactating women). Thirteen iron-sufficient female laboratory employees were also studied. Mean sTfR concentrations were higher in pregnant women (9.90 mg/L) than in lactating women (8.55 mg/L), nonlactating women (7.74 mg/L), and laboratory employees (5.11 mg/L) (P < 0.005). Mean serum ferritin and transferrin saturation were lower in pregnant than nonpregnant women. sTfR negatively correlated with hemoglobin (P < 0.05) and transferrin saturation (P < 0.05), and nonsignificantly with ferritin and transferrin. With 7.26 mg sTfR/L (the upper limit of laboratory employees) as the cutoff value, sTfR identified 67% of women with tissue iron deficiency compared with 11.5-57% for transferrin saturation, hemoglobin, or ferritin. Despite the moderate sensitivity (68.5%), 90% of women with sTfR > 7.26 mg/L also had another index below normal and 54% had serum ferritin < or = 50 micrograms/L.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuvibidila
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ode
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Warrier
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mbele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D007774:Lactation; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D007501:Iron