title: Iron, folate and vitamin B12 parameters in HIV-1 infected patients with anaemia in southern Brazil.
abstract: We conducted a study to determine the role of iron, folate and vitamin B12 in HIV-infected patients with anaemia attending a tertiary-care hospital in southern Brazil. Low serum folate levels were found in 14 (41%) HIV-infected patients; parameters of iron deficiency such as low transferring saturation index and ferritin in 10 (30%); and combined folate and iron deficiency in five (14%). Vitamin B12 deficiency was found in only two (6%) patients who presented with mean corpuscular volumes within the normal range. Our study has shown that folate and iron deficiency were frequently detected in HIV-infected patients at our institution, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of anaemia in all HIV-infected patients independent of their HIV stage of progression.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos 2350, Porto Alegre RS 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luísa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Luciano Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Goldani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015497:HIV-1; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid; D007501:Iron; D014805:Vitamin B 12