Erythrocyte ferritin in patients with chronic renal failure and heterozygous beta-thalassemia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this research is to study the variance of erythrocyte ferritin (EF) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and heterozygous beta-thalassemia (beta-TA), as well as the use of EF as a more reliable index for assessing the body iron status.


METHODS
We studied 63 subjects with CRF, 40 subjects with heterozygous beta-TA, 53 subjects with CRF and heterozygous beta-TA and 24 normal subjects. In 11 patients with CRF and heterozygous beta-TA, sternal bone marrow aspiration was performed to evaluate iron stores in the bone marrow. EF was determined in the hemolysate of washed erythrocytes by a radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
EF showed the strongest correlation with bone marrow iron (p < 0.001) in comparison with the remaining hematological parameters that were examined. Patients with CRF without heterozygous beta-TA showed an increase in serum ferritin (SF), even in cases of iron deficiency. In the group of heterozygous beta-TA without renal failure, 22.5% of patients showed an increased EF content up to 150 ag/cell and a tendency for iron overload. Patients with CRF and heterozygous beta-TA showed a high value of EF, up to 200 ag/cell, and iron overload in 22.6%, almost the same proportion as in the previous group. It was also observed that a high value of SF does not indicate iron overload for these patients. In the group of hemodialysis, patients without heterozygous beta-TA who were under erythropoietin (EPO) treatment presented iron deficiency. Many patients with CRF and heterozygous beta-TA who were taking EPO presented iron overload, while very few of them presented iron deficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that EF is a reliable index for assessing the iron status in patients with CRF and heterozygous beta-TA.
Pathophysiology Department, Laiko General Hospital, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, GR-115 27 Athens, Greece. ck@new-europe.gr
Vassiliki
V
Christopoulou
A
A
Varsou
A
A
Travlou
G
G
Drivas
D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000737:chemistry; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics
D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron