The usefulness of soluble transferrin receptor in the diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency anemia in children.
OBJECTIVE
Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) is a truncated extracellular form of the membrane transferrin receptor produced by proteolysis. Concentrations of serum sTfR are related to iron status and erythropoiesis in the body. We investigated whether serum sTfR levels can aid in diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children.


METHODS
Ninety-eight patients with IDA were enrolled and were classified according to age at diagnosis. Group 1 comprised 78 children, aged 6-59 months, and group 2 comprised 20 adolescents, aged 12-16 years.


RESULTS
In group 1, patients' serum sTfR levels correlated negatively with mean corpuscular volume; hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, and serum iron levels; and transferrin saturation and positively with total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and red cell distribution width. In group 2, patients' serum sTfR levels did not correlate with ferritin levels and TIBC, but had a significant relationship with other iron indices. Hb and serum sTfR levels had a significant inverse relationship in both groups; however, in group 1, there was no correlation between Hb and serum ferritin levels. In 30 patients of group 1, serum sTfR levels were significantly decreased with an increase in Hb levels after iron supplementation for 1 month.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum sTfR levels significantly correlated with other diagnostic iron parameters of IDA and inversely correlated with an increase in Hb levels following iron supplementation. Therefore, serum sTfR levels can be a useful marker for the diagnosis and treatment of IDA in children.
Department of Pediatrics, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.
Se Hoon
SH
Yoon
Department of Pediatrics, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.
Dong Sup
DS
Kim
Department of Pediatrics, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.
Seung Taek
ST
Yu
Department of Family Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.
Sae Ron
SR
Shin
Department of Pediatrics, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.
Du Young
du Y
Choi
Child; Iron deficiency anemia; Transferrin receptor