Erythrocyte indexes, iron metabolism, and hyperhomocysteinemia in adults with cyanotic congenital cardiac disease.
A high percentage of cyanotic adults (37%) with cyanotic congenital cardiac disease (CCD) presented with depleted iron stores (13 of 52) or latent iron deficiency (6 of 52), even in a CCD center in which cyanotic patient phlebotomy is mostly avoided. In many of these patients, hypochromia and microcytosis was frequent, whereas hyperchromia and macrocytosis were relatively common.Furthermore, 50% of patients presented with hyperhomocysteinemia, possibly related to folate or B vitamin deficiencies, which may increase red blood cell size and color, explaining the lack of microcytosis and hypochromia in many cyanotic patients with iron deficiency.
Kaemmerer
Harald
H
Klinik für Kinderkardiologie und angeborene Herzfehler, Lazarettstrasse 36, 80636 Munich, Germany. Kaemmerer@dhm.mhn.de
Fratz
Sohrab
S
Braun
Siegfried L
SL
Koelling
Klaus
K
Eicken
Andreas
A
Brodherr-Heberlein
Silke
S
Pietrzik
Klaus
K
Hess
John
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged