title: Blood transfusion, serum ferritin, and iron in hemodialysis patients in Africa.
abstract: Background and Objectives. There is no data analyzing the outcome of blood transfusions and oral iron therapy in patients with kidneys failure in sub-Saharan Africa. The present study aimed to fill that gap and assess the value of ferritin in the diagnosis of iron overload and deficiency. Design. From January to February 2012, we prospectively studied 85 hemodialysis patients (78% of males and 22% of females aged 20 to 79 years) attending the Gabonese National Hemodialysis Centre. Results. Correlation studies showed (a) a strong positive linear relationship between the number of blood transfusions and high serum ferritin in hemodialysis patient (Spearman r : 0.74; P value: 0.0001); (b) a weak association between the number of blood transfusions and serum iron concentrations (Spearman r : 0.32; P value: 0.04); (c) a weak association between serum ferritin and serum iron (Spearman r : 0.32; P value: 0.003). Also, the strength of agreement beyond chance between the levels of ferritin and iron in the serum was poor (κ = 0.14). The prevalence of iron overload was 10.6%, whereas the prevalence of iron deficiency was 2.3%, comparing (1) patients with a maximum of one transfusion not on iron therapy; (2) patients with a maximum of one transfusion on iron therapy; (3) polytransfused patients not on iron therapy; and (4) polytransfused patients on oral iron therapy. The "Kruskal-Wallis test" showed that ferritin levels varied significantly between the groups (P value: 0.0001). Conclusion. Serum ferritin is not reliable as a marker of iron overload. For patients undergoing regular transfusion we recommend routine serum ferritin measurement and yearly measurement of LIC.
authors: Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon.
authors: Leonard
authors: L
authors: Kouegnigan Rerambiah
authors: Service d'Anesthésie-Réanimation du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Libreville, Libreville, Gabon.
authors: Laurence
authors: L
authors: Essola Rerambiah
authors: Centre National d'Hémodialyse de Libreville, Libreville, Gabon.
authors: Armel
authors: A
authors: Mbourou Etomba
authors: Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon.
authors: Rose Marlène
authors: RM
authors: Mouguiama
authors: Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon.
authors: Phanie Brunelle
authors: PB
authors: Issanga
authors: Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon.
authors: Axel Sydney
authors: AS
authors: Biyoghe
authors: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angondjè, Libreville, Gabon.
authors: Batchelili
authors: B
authors: Batchilili
authors: Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon.
authors: Sylvestre
authors: S
authors: Akone Assembe
authors: Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon ; Unité de Recherche et de Diagnostic Spécialisé/Laboratoire National de Santé Publique (URDS/LNSP), Libreville, Gabon.
authors: Joel Fleury
authors: JF
authors: Djoba Siawaya