title: Effect of intra-cellular trafficking on flow cytometric measurement of neutrophil's oxidative status in iron deficient pregnant females.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are prevalent among pregnant women particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the iron status among Egyptian pregnant women and its impact on their neutrophil's count and antimicrobial functions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety pregnant females underwent complete blood count, iron profile, flow cytometric studies for neutrophil myeloperoxidase expression & oxidative burst using dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR) after phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) stimulation as well as neutrophil phagocytic and lytic indices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to percent saturation 54/90 women (60%) were iron deficient (<15% saturation) (cases) and 36/90 (40%) were iron sufficient (controls). A higher proportion of iron deficient pregnant women were in their third trimester compared to controls. No significant difference was found between the iron deficient & sufficient groups as regards anemia despite a positive correlation between haemoglobin level and percent saturation (P=.02). Both the phagocytic and lytic indices were significantly lower among the cases compared to controls (P=.014 & .002 respectively). Cases and controls were comparable as regards flow cytometric studies of neutrophils' myeloperoxidase and oxidative burst (P>.05). No significant correlation was found between any of the iron profile parameters and the oxidative burst by flow cytometry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Functional microphage assay (phagocytic and lytic indices) may be more relevant and cost effective than flow cytometry assays of myeloperoxidase and oxidative burst in reflecting either iron status or cellular immunity in pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Soha R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sherif F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Hendawy
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Noha H
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2787-8908
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Boshnak
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mariana S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sedhom
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D010703:Phorbol Esters; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D012372:ROC Curve; D016897:Respiratory Burst
chemical_list: D010703:Phorbol Esters; C119222:phorbol-12-myristate; D007501:Iron
keywords: anemia; flow cytometry; immunity; iron deficiency; pregnancy