title: Effect of iron supplementation on iron status during the first week after blood donation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Frequent blood donations may lead to a negative iron balance. Iron depletion may be prevented by iron supplementation after whole blood donations. The aim of this study was to compare the short time changes in iron status after donation in two groups randomized to iron supplementation or no additional iron. A second objective was to evaluate the effect of iron supplementation in donors having HFE-variants compared to HFE wild types.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects of both genders (199 women, 200 men) were randomised to receive iron supplementation or no additional iron after donation. Iron status, defined by the concentration of haemoglobin, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, concentration of haemoglobin in reticulocytes (CHr) and percent hypochrome mature red blood cells, was determined at the start of donation and 8 +/- 2 days after donation. HFE genotyping was performed at reappearance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference between the two study groups on all the iron status parameters. CHr was an efficient, early marker of ongoing synthesis of haemoglobin. Heterozygosity for the HFE variants C282Y and H63D had no statistically significant influence on the iron status. The donor's baseline serum ferritin value may be basis for an individual iron supplementation regimen, as donors with serum ferritin >50 microg/l do not seem to utilize the iron supplementation, but prefer endogenous iron to restore the loss of haemoglobin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Iron supplementation had a significant positive impact on the restoration of iron status one week after donation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. ar@hials.no
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Røsvik
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hervig
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wentzel-Larsen
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ulvik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001782:Blood Donors; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005838:Genotype; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005296:Ferrous Compounds; C103673:HFE protein, human; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D006454:Hemoglobins; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; C078972:Niferex; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; C030676:ferroglycine sulfate; D005998:Glycine