Avaliação da presença de anemia e de deficiência de ferritina em pacientes atendidos no Laboratório de Análises Clínicas do Centro Universitário do Estado do Pará / Evaluation of the anemia presence and ferritin deficiency in patients attended at the Clinical Analyses Laboratory of the University Center of the State of Pará

Objetivo: Este estudo buscou analisar a presença de anemia, definida como a redução nos níveis de hemoglobina, e relacioná-la com a deficiência de ferritina sérica entre pacientes com idade igual ou superior a 15 anos, identificando possíveis casos de anemia ferropriva. Métodos: Foi realizada a coleta de resultados laboratoriais de pacientes que realizaram o exame de hemograma completo acompanhado da dosagem de ferritina no Laboratório de Análises Clínicas do CESUPA durante o período de agosto de 2018 a junho de 2019. Pacientes que realizaram ambos os exames e revelaram baixos níveis de hemoglobina foram inclusos, obtendo-se assim uma amostra de 177 pacientes anêmicos. Resultados: Nos pacientes incluídos no estudo, constatou-se que a faixa etária com maior prevalência de anemia foi a de pacientes com idade entre 61 a 70 anos de idade, representando 27,1% da amostra total. Classificando-se os tipos de anemia presente com base em seus índices hematimétricos, notou-se maior frequência daquelas com perfil de normocitose e normocromia (55,4%), seguida de microcitose e hipocromia (31,6%) e de macrocitose com normocromia (2,3%). Entre os pacientes com perfil de microcitose e hipocromia, 91,1% apresentaram anisocitose. Dos 177 pacientes anêmicos, apenas 19 (10,7%) apresentaram valores baixos de ferritina, enquanto que os pacientes com níveis normais de ferritina foram os mais frequentes (59,9%). Conclusão: O perfil hematimétrico compatível com quadros de anemia ferropriva foi o segundo mais frequente neste estudo, sendo o de normocitose e normocromia o mais frequente, assim corroborando com maior parte das faixas etárias identificadas.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the presence of anemia, being evaluated by the reduced hemoglobin levels, and associate it with serum ferritin deficiency among patients at 15 years old or greater, identifying possible cases of iron-deficiency anemia. Methods: Exam results from patients who did the complete blood count exam and the dosage of ferritin levels at the Laboratory of Clinical Analyzes from CESUPA during the interval of august 2018 to june 2019 were collected. Patients who performed both tests and revealed low hemoglobin levels were included, creating a sample of 177 anemic patients. Results: In the patients included in this study, it was found that anemia was most prevalent among patients with an age within the range of 61 to 70 years old, representing 27,1% of the total sample. Classifying the types of anemia present by use of the hematimetric paramaters, it was noted that those with the profile of normocytic and normochromic were the most frequent (55,4%), followed by the profile of microcytic and hypocromic anemia patients with microcytosis and hypochromia, 91,1% also had the presence of anisocytosis. Of the 177 patients with anemia, only 19 (10,7%) showed low ferritin levels, while those with normal ferritin levels were the most frequent (59,9%). Conclusion: The hematimetric profile compatible with iron-deficiency anemia was the second most frequent in this study, while the profile of microcytosis and hypochromia was the most frequent one, thus corroborating with most of the identified age groups.

[Prevalence and demographic factors associated with ferritin deficiency in Colombian children, 2010]. / Prevalencia y factores sociodemográficos asociados a la deficiencia de ferritina en niños de Colombia, 2010.

OBJECTIVES: To determine prevalence and socio-demographic factors associated with ferritin deficiency in a representative sample of children in Colombia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross sectional secondary data analysis of the National Survey on the Nutritional Situation (ENSIN) conducted in 2010 in Colombia in 3542 children between 12 and 59 months. Plasma ferritin levels were determined by chemiluminescence and values <12 ug/L were considered as deficit ferritin. Sociodemographic factors (sex, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographical region) were collected using a structured questionnaire. All analyses were performed taking into account the complex nature of the sample. RESULTS: It was found that the average value of ferritin was 32.1 g/L, (CI 95%: 30.7-35.6).10.6% (CI 95%: 9.3-12.0) of the children had ferritin levels less than 12.0 ug/L. The multivariate logistic regression shows that children aged 12 to 23 (OR 5.1, CI 95%: 3.3-8.0) and 24 to 35 months (OR 2.4, CI 95%: 1.5-3.7), belonging to the indigenous ethnic group (OR 1.8, CI 95%: 1.1-2.8), living in the Atlantic region (OR 2.0, CI 95%: 1.1 -3.6), or Pacific area (OR 2.0, CI 95%: 1.1-3.6) were associated with a higher probability of ferritin deficiencies. CONCLUSIONS: A significant prevalence of anemia caused by ferritin deficiency was found as well as various sociodemographic factors that contributed to the likelihood of increasing this problem. Comprehensive interventions are recommended in which nutritional and educational components are involved.

Prevalencia y factores sociodemográficos asociados a la deficiencia de ferritina en niños de Colombia, 2010 / Prevalence and demographic factors associated with ferritin deficiency in Colombian children, 2010

Objetivos. Determinar la prevalencia y los factores sociodemográficos asociados a la deficiencia de ferritina en una muestra representativa de niños de Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Análisis secundario transversal de la Encuesta Nacional de la Situación Nutricional (ENSIN) realizada en Colombia el año 2010 en 3542 infantes entre 12 y 59 meses de edad. Los niveles plasmáticos de ferritina se determinaron por quimioluminiscencia y se consideraron como déficit de ferritina los valores < 12 µg/L, los factores sociodemográficos (sexo, edad, etnia, nivel socioeconómico, región y área geográfica) se recogieron mediante una encuesta estructurada. Todos los análisis se realizaron teniendo en cuenta la naturaleza compleja de la muestra. Resultados. Se encontró que el valor promedio de ferritina fue de 32,1 µg/L, (IC 95%: 30,7-35,6). El 10,6% (IC 95%: 9,3-12,0) de los niños presentaron niveles de ferritina menores a 12,0 µg/L. La regresión logística multivariable muestra que los niños de 12 a 23 (OR 5,1; IC 95%: 3,3-8,0) y 24 a 35 meses de edad (OR 2,4; IC 95%: 1,5-3,7), pertenecer al grupo étnico indígena (OR 1,8; IC 95%: 1,1-2,8), residir en la zona atlántico (OR 2,0; IC 95%: 1,1-3,6), o zona pacifica (OR 2,0; IC 95%: 1,1-3,6) se asociaron a una mayor probabilidad de presentar deficiencias de ferritina. Conclusiones. Se encontró una importante prevalencia de anemia por deficiencia de ferritina y diversos factores sociodemográficos contribuyeron con la probabilidad de incrementar este problema. Se recomienda intervenciones integrales donde estén involucrados los componentes nutricional y educativo.

Objectives. To determine prevalence and socio-demographic factors associated with ferritin deficiency in a representative sample of children in Colombia. Materials and methods. Cross sectional secondary data analysis of the National Survey on the Nutritional Situation (ENSIN) conducted in 2010 in Colombia in 3542 children between 12 and 59 months. Plasma ferritin levels were determined by chemiluminescence and values <12 ug/L were considered as deficit ferritin. Sociodemographic factors (sex, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographical region) were collected using a structured questionnaire. All analyses were performed taking into account the complex nature of the sample. Results. It was found that the average value of ferritin was 32.1 g/L, (CI 95%: 30.7-35.6).10.6% (CI 95%: 9.3-12.0) of the children had ferritin levels less than 12.0 ug/L. The multivariate logistic regression shows that children aged 12 to 23 (OR 5.1, CI 95%: 3.3-8.0) and 24 to 35 months (OR 2.4, CI 95%: 1.5-3.7), belonging to the indigenous ethnic group (OR 1.8, CI 95%: 1.1-2.8), living in the Atlantic region (OR 2.0, CI 95%: 1.1 -3.6), or Pacific area (OR 2.0, CI 95%: 1.1-3.6) were associated with a higher probability of ferritin deficiencies. Conclusions. A significant prevalence of anemia caused by ferritin deficiency was found as well as various sociodemographic factors that contributed to the likelihood of increasing this problem. Comprehensive interventions are recommended in which nutritional and educational components are involved.

Mineral status of non-anemic Peruvian infants taking an iron and copper syrup with or without zinc from 6 to 18 months of age: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated changes in the status of iron, zinc, and copper in non-anemic Peruvian infants who were receiving daily supplements of 10 mg of iron and 0.5 mg of copper with or without 10 mg of zinc from 6 to 18 mo of age. METHODS: Overall, 251 infants were randomized to receive one of two daily supplements. Venous blood draws at 6, 12, and 18 mo of age were taken to characterize hemoglobin, plasma ferritin, zinc, and copper concentrations. The urinary excretion of zinc was also measured at each time point. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate changes over time and by supplement type. RESULTS: Both hemoglobin and copper concentrations increased significantly and plasma ferritin decreased from 6 to 12 mo of age (P < 0.05). Mean plasma zinc concentrations in the zinc treatment group were maintained over time, whereas zinc concentrations in the control group declined; differences by treatment were found at 12 and 18 mo of age (P < 0.05). Urinary zinc concentration was increased in the zinc group at 12 mo only. There was evidence that zinc treatment improved the hemoglobin level at 18 mo of age (P = 0.09). Compliance with supplementation was high, with 81% of the intended dose consumed over the 12-mo period. CONCLUSIONS: Daily mineral supplementation over the course of 1 y appears to be feasible and acceptable in this population. A combined supplement can improve the status of iron, zinc, and copper in infants at the same time.

Anaemia and iron deficiency between 2003 and 2007 in Amazonian children under 2 years of age: trends and associated factors.

OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in the prevalence of anaemia and Fe deficiency in children under 2 years of age living in a town in western Brazilian Amazonia. DESIGN: Temporal analysis of two cross-sectional population-based surveys. Information on socio-economic status, morbidity and breast-feeding was obtained using a structured questionnaire. Child weight and length were measured for anthropometric evaluation. Concentrations of blood Hb, plasma ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor were measured. SETTING: The town of Acrelândia, state of Acre, north-west Brazil. SUBJECTS: A total of 170 and 224 participants of the 2003 and 2007 surveys, respectively. RESULTS: Comparison between the 2003 and 2007 surveys revealed no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of anaemia (48 (95% CI 39, 56)% to 40 (95% CI 33, 47)%) or Fe-deficiency anaemia (39 (95% CI 30, 48)% to 37 (95% CI 30, 45)%), respectively. However, an increase in the overall prevalence of Fe deficiency from 62 (95% CI 51, 68)% to 81 (95% CI 75, 86)% was observed (χ2 test, P≤0.001). In age- and sex-adjusted analyses for risk of Fe deficiency, only early introduction of cow's milk (<90 d) was associated with Fe deficiency in 2003 (prevalence ratio (PR)=0.76; 95% CI 0.57, 1.01), while caesarean section (PR=1.18; 95% CI 1.03, 1.35) and birth weight <3500 g (PR=1.15; 95% CI 1.00, 1.34) were associated with Fe deficiency in 2007. CONCLUSIONS: No improvements were observed in the prevalence of anaemia, exposing a worrying scenario for public health, while a significant increase was found in the prevalence of Fe deficiency in the studied infants and toddlers.

Associations between serum C-reactive protein and serum zinc, ferritin, and copper in Guatemalan school children.

Inflammation affects trace nutrient concentrations, but research on copper and particularly in children is limited. We assessed associations between serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and zinc, iron, copper, and other biomarkers (alkaline phosphatase, hemoglobin, and albumin), in 634 healthy 6- to 11-year-old Guatemalan schoolchildren. CRP was measured by a standardized, high-sensitive method. For significant associations with CRP, we stratified nutrient concentrations across categories of CRP and compared concentrations above and below several CRP cutoff points (0.5, 1, 3, 5, and 10 mg/L), and then adjusted values using correction factors (ratios of geometric means of the nutrients in the low and high groups). Prevalence of serum zinc (<65 µg/dL0, ferritin (<15 µg/L), and copper (<90 µg/dL) deficiency were 21%, 2.1%, and 23.8%, respectively. Median (25th and 75th percentiles) CRP was 0.56 (0.26 and 1.54) mg/L. CRP concentration was positively associated with ferritin and copper concentrations (r = 0.23 and 0.29, respectively; P < 0.0001) but not with zinc and other biomarkers (P > 0.05). Regardless of CRP cutoffs, high (> cutoff) vs. low (≤ cutoff) CRP levels had higher ferritin and copper concentrations and lower prevalence of copper deficiency of <90 µg/dL (P < 0.05). Adjustment for inflammation had the greatest influence on recalculated prevalence for the CRP 0.5 mg/L cutoff. The low ferritin prevalence hardly changed (from 2.1% to 2.5%) while the low copper prevalence changed appreciably (from 23.8% to 31.2%). In conclusion, CRP was positively associated with ferritin and copper but not with zinc concentrations. Adjustment for inflammation had little effect on low ferritin prevalence, low to begin with, and a large impact on low copper prevalence. High-sensitive CRP methods and the use of very low CRP cutoffs may be more accurate than traditional CRP methods in the adjustment of serum copper concentrations for inflammation in healthy school children.

Randomized placebo-controlled trial of guava juice as a source of ascorbic acid to reduce iron deficiency in Tarahumara indigenous schoolchildren of northern Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the efficacy of a 10-week consumption of guava juice on the iron status of children with mild iron deficiency anemia. METHODS: Ninety-five boarding school children aged 6-9 years identified as anemic were randomly allocated to receive 300 mL of natural guava juice containing ∼200 mg of ascorbic acid (AA) or placebo (guava-flavored juice free of AA) with the main meal (5 d/wk). Information about dietary intake was collected at weeks 3, 5, and 7 at school and household levels. Changes in hemoglobin (Hb) and plasma ferritin (PF) among the subsample iron deficient at baseline (n = 33) were the main outcomes. RESULTS: Iron and phytic acid intakes at school and at home did not differ between groups. Baseline Hb and PF were 11.9 ± 0.5 g/dL and 8.2 ± 3.6 ng/mL for the guava, and 11.4 ± 1.1 g/dL and 7.4 ± 4.6 ng/mL for the placebo group (Hb: p = 0.08; PF: p = 0.31); at week 10 of the study, corresponding values were 13.1 ± 0.9 g/dL and 17.9 ± 10.3 ng/mL (n = 16), and 12.3 ± 1.3 g/dL and 15.4 ± 5.8 ng/mL (n = 12) (Hb: p = 0.05; PF: p = 0.21). With analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures, the guava group had 0.64 g/dL higher Hb (CI(95), 0.18-1.11; p = 0.01) and 2.47 ng/mL higher PF (CI(95), -1.04 to 5.98; p = 0.12) compared with the placebo group. CONCLUSION: Guava juice providing 200 mg AA at one meal on each school day had a marginal effect on Hb and PF concentrations in children consuming high-phytate diets fortified with iron.

Iron homeostasis in Brucella abortus: the role of bacterioferritin.

Brucella abortus is the etiological agent of bovine brucellosis, an infectious disease of humans and cattle. Its pathogenesis is mainly based on its ability to survive and multiply inside macrophages. It has been demonstrated that if B. abortus ferrochelatase cannot incorporate iron into protoporphyrin IX to synthesize heme, the intracellular replication and virulence in mice is highly attenuated. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that the unavailability of iron could lead to the same attenuation in B. abortus pathogenicity. Thus, the purpose of this work was to obtain a B. abortus derivative unable to keep an internal iron pool and test its ability to replicate under iron limitation. To achieve this, we searched for iron-storage proteins in the genome of brucellae and found bacterioferritin (Bfr) as the sole ferritin encoded. Then, a B. abortus bfr mutant was built up and its capacity to store iron and replicate under iron limitation was investigated. Results indicated that B. abortus Bfr accounts for 70% of the intracellular iron content. Under iron limitation, the bfr mutant suffered from enhanced iron restriction with respect to wild type according to its growth retardation pattern, enhanced sensitivity to oxidative stress, accelerated production of siderophores, and altered expression of membrane proteins. Nonetheless, the bfr mutant was able to adapt and replicate even inside eukaryotic cells, indicating that B. abortus responds to internal iron starvation before sensing external iron availability. This suggests an active role of Bfr in controlling iron homeostasis through the availability of Bfr-bound iron.

Age patterns in undernutrition and helminth infection in a rural area of Brazil: associations with ascariasis and hookworm.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the nutritional status of individuals from a rural area of Brazil, and associations with helminth infections in an age-stratified sample. METHOD: A total of 1113 individuals aged from 6 months to 83 years from the rural community of Americaninhas in Minas Gerais were investigated. Assessments comprised anthropometric measurements of weight, height and body composition, examining faecal samples for helminth eggs, and peripheral blood assays for albumin, haemoglobin and ferritin concentrations. RESULTS: Ten percent of the participants were underweight, 12.8% were overweight and 28.3% of the children and adolescents were stunted. 11.6% had low lean body mass and 28.8% had low fat body mass. Hypoalbuminaemia was seen in 5.5%, anaemia in 12.5% and iron deficiency in 13.1%, although the prevalence of these two indices increased with age. Multivariate analysis showed that, after controlling for age, sex and socio-economic status, stunting was significantly associated with Ascaris lumbricoides infection among children and adolescents, whereas low body mass was significantly associated with hookworm infection among adults and the elderly. CONCLUSIONS: Helminth infections are associated with undernutrition in endemic populations, with important differences between the effects of hookworm and A. lumbricoides on age-related nutritional status.

Prevalence of anemia and deficiency of iron, folic acid, and zinc in children younger than 2 years of age who use the health services provided by the Mexican Social Security Institute.

BACKGROUND: In Mexico, as in other developing countries, micronutrient deficiencies are common in infants between 6 and 24 months of age and are an important public health problem. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and of iron, folic acid, and zinc deficiencies in Mexican children under 2 years of age who use the health care services provided by the Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS). METHODS: A nationwide survey was conducted with a representative sample of children younger than 2 years of age, beneficiaries, and users of health care services provided by IMSS through its regular regimen (located in urban populations) and its Oportunidades program (services offered in rural areas). A subsample of 4,955 clinically healthy children was studied to determine their micronutrient status. A venous blood sample was drawn to determine hemoglobin, serum ferritin, percent of transferrin saturation, zinc, and folic acid. Descriptive statistics include point estimates and 95% confidence intervals for the sample and projections for the larger population from which the sample was drawn. RESULTS: Twenty percent of children younger than 2 years of age had anemia, and 27.8% (rural) to 32.6% (urban) had iron deficiency; more than 50% of anemia was not associated with low ferritin concentrations. Iron stores were more depleted as age increased. Low serum zinc and folic acid deficiencies were 28% and 10%, respectively, in the urban areas, and 13% and 8%, respectively, in rural areas. The prevalence of simultaneous iron and zinc deficiencies was 9.2% and 2.7% in urban and rural areas. Children with anemia have higher percentages of folic acid deficiency than children with normal iron status. CONCLUSION: Iron and zinc deficiencies constitute the principal micronutrient deficiencies in Mexican children younger than 2 years old who use the health care services provided by IMSS. Anemia not associated with low ferritin values was more prevalent than iron-deficiency anemia. The presence of micronutrient deficiencies at this early age calls for effective preventive public nutrition programs to address them.

Las disferritinemias, algoritmo de orientación diagnóstica / The disferritinemias, diagnostic orientation algorithm

Las disferritinemias se observan frecuentemente en el laboratorio de análisis clínicos. Se describen los principales exámenes etiológicos. La hipoferritinemia esencialmente manifista una carencia marcial. En la práctica habitual, la hiperferritinemia puede ser de origen inflamatorio, citolítico (cánceres, síndrome metabólico, hepatopatías, hemólisis) o poner de manifiesto sobrecargas de hierro secundarias o primarias (tranfusiones, anomalías de la hemoglobina, hemocromatosis).

Estrategias diagnósticas utilizadas para detectar deficiencias de hierro subclínicas y asociadas a enfermedades crónicas / Diagnostic strategies for detecting subclinical iron deficiencies and associated to chronic diseases

La homeostasis y las variaciones fisiológicas horarias en el metabolismo del hierro se constituyen en verdaderos desafíos para los expertos, quienes intentan diseñar pruebas altamente sensibles y específicas que cuantifiquen los niveles circulantes y de depósito de este elemento, su repercusión en la eritropoyesis,cuantificación de las proteínas, transportadores y receptores involucrados en el proceso, a fin de descartar la presencia de estados carenciales. Las deficiencias de hierro pasan por tres fases; las dos primeras son lasmás difíciles de identificar porque son subclínicas, más aún, cuando pueden cursar simultáneamente con enfermedades crónicas inflamatorias, infecciosas y neoplásicas que de por sí son anemizantes. En este trabajose revisarán las principales pruebas de laboratorio utilizadas para la identificación de deficiencias de hierro, sensibilidad, especificidad, ventajas y limitaciones para su uso.

Iron and folate status before pregnancy and anemia during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: A lack of information about the role that iron and folate stores (erythrocyte folate) play on the anemia incidence in pregnant women. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the predictive value of ferritin and erythrocyte folate before pregnancy in relationship to the incidence of anemia throughout pregnancy. METHODS: Thirty-five non-anemic non-pregnant women were evaluated 1 or 2 months before the pregnancy. After becoming pregnant they were evaluated every 4 weeks starting in the 8th week of pregnancy until 1 month post-partum. Every evaluation included determination of hemoglobin, ferritin and erythrocyte folate. RESULTS: When the women started gestation with an insufficient iron store (<20 microg/l), the trend was to present anemia at significantly earlier gestational ages, in such a way that at week 20 of gestation almost 60% of the women with an inadequate store had anemia and only 25% of the women with an adequate store had this condition. On the other hand, the pregestational erythrocyte folate did not predict anemia incidence. CONCLUSIONS: Pregestational ferritin concentration predicts value of incidence of anemia throughout pregnancy.

Lack of hemoglobin response to iron supplementation in anemic mexican preschoolers with multiple micronutrient deficiencies.

BACKGROUND: In developing countries, incomplete resolution of anemia with iron supplementation is often attributed to poor compliance or inadequate duration of supplementation, but it could result from deficiencies of other micronutrients. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess children's hematologic response to supervised, long-term iron supplementation and the relation of this response to other micronutrient deficiencies, anthropometry, morbidity, and usual dietary intake. DESIGN: Rural Mexican children aged 18-36 mo (n = 219) were supplemented for 12 mo with either 20 mg Fe, 20 mg Zn, both iron and zinc, or placebo. Children were categorized as iron-unsupplemented (IUS; n = 109) or iron supplemented (IS; n = 108). Hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean cell hemoglobin, plasma concentrations of micronutrients that can affect hematopoiesis, anthropometry, and diet were assessed at 0, 6, and 12 mo; morbidity was assessed biweekly. RESULTS: At baseline, 70% of children had low hemoglobin (

Folato e ferritina na gestação / Folate and Ferritin in pregnancy

As deficiências de folato e de ferritina sérica acarretam anemia em gestantes (considerada mundialmente um problema de Saúde Pública). O objetivo do trabalho foi estudar os níveis de folato e de ferritina séricos em gestantes. Foram determinadas as dosagens de folato e de ferritina e o eritograma de 90 gestantes, usuárias dos serviços de Pré-Natal do Hospital e Maternidade Vila Nova Cachoeirinha e do Hospital Universitário da USP. Das gestantes , 22,2(per cent) eram anêmicas e 2,2(per cent) eram deficientes de acido fólico; 18,8(per cent) eram deficientes de ferritina e anêmicas ao mesmo tempo. A média dos níveis de folato sérico foi de 7,42ng/ml com dp ñ 3,49. A média dos níveis de ferritina sérica foi 47,22 ng/ml com dp ñ 44,02. Analisando os prontuários das pacientes após o parto, observamos que cinco abortaram; houve um caso de cardiopatia congênita e nunhuma delas teve concepto afetado por defeito de tibo neural (au)

Ferritina sérica en diferentes grupos de población en Honduras / Serum ferritin in differents groups in Honduran population

Con el propósito de conocer valores normales en Honduras, hemos investigado la concentración de ferritina sérica en cuatro grupos de población. De 283 voluntarios estudiados, 13 fueron mujeres no embarazadas, 73 niños, 98 mujeres embarazadas y 99 hombres. El valor medio de ferritina y el rango encontrado fue de la siguiente manera: mujeres no embarazadas 32 ng/dl (5.5 ng/dl- 200 ng/dl), niños 24.8 ng/dl (3.7 ng/dl - 18 ng/dl), mujeres embarazadas 10.6 ng/dL (3.1 ng/dL- 163 ng/dL) y hombres 73.6 ng/dL (21.8 ng/dL- 422.7 ng/dL). Se determinó la concentración de hemoglobina y hematocrito y se estableció la relación entre hemoglobina y ferritina, encontrandose que en los cuatro grupos existió una relación directamente proporcional entre los niveles de hemoglobina y de ferritina sérica

Micronutrient deficiencies in the English-speaking Caribbean and methods for their control - abstract

Multiple micronutrient deficiencies is not a public health problem in the Caribbean. The most widespread micronutrient deficiency is iron. In some countries as many as 75 per cent of pregnant women had low haemoglobin levels. In one country 80 per cent of children 6 months to 2 years of age had no iron reserves as measured by ferritin levels. There is also a high prevalence of dental caries in some countries. Flouride has been added to salt in Jamaica. This paper reviews some of the data on micronutrient deficiencies and concentrates on the approaches for the control of iron deficiency in the region. These approaches are supplementation, nutrition education, parasitic control and fortification. The problems and successes of each approach are discussed and how they are helping to control anaemia in the English-speaking Caribbean (AU)

Effects of low ferritin concentration on endurance performance.

To determine the effects of depleted iron stores on endurance performance and blood lactate concentration, eight active women with normal (> 26 ng/ml) and eight with low (< 12 ng/ml) plasma ferritin concentrations were studied while performing a VO2max and an endurance test (80% VO2max) on a cycle ergometer. The low ferritin group had significantly lower serum iron concentration and transferrin saturation and higher TIBC than the normal ferritin group. Mean VO2max was not significantly different between groups. No significant difference was found in total time to exhaustion during the endurance test for low (23.2 min) and normal (27.0 min) ferritin groups; however, the normal ferritin group exercised 14% longer. Blood lactate concentrations following the VO2max and endurance test did not differ significantly between groups. Food diaries revealed lower daily absorbable iron intake by the low ferritin group compared to the normal ferritin group. Ferritin concentration was significantly related to absorbable iron (r = .72) and total iron (r = .70) intake. The results suggest that women with depleted iron stores who are not anemic may have less endurance, but do not have higher blood lactate during exercise than women with normal iron stores.

Serum ferritin deficiency in Huntington's disease patients.

This study was designed to investigate serum levels of iron, ferritin, vitamin B12 and folic acid in 18 Huntington's disease patients and 86 healthy control subjects. Serum iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid levels were normal. Ferritin concentrations were significantly diminished in the choreic patients. The importance of this finding in our attempt to understand the underlying biochemical defect and the chemical nature of the iron deposits found in several brain nuclei in Huntington's disease patients is unknown.

A survey of the iron anaemia status in the Grenadian population - abstract

Community studies, over the past 15 years, have demonstrated that anaemia is a public health problem in Grenada. In November 1984, an all-island survey was conducted in Grenada to study the prevalence, types and causes of anaemia in that island. Anaemia existed in all age and sex groups. A high prevalence was found in ante-natal and post-natal women and in pre-school age children. In these groups, 63 percent, 47 percent and 43.7 percent, respectively, were found to have haemoglobin levels less than those recommended by WHO. Eighty per cent of pre-school age children, 12-23 months of age, had haemoglobin levels of less than 11 g/dl. Plasma ferritin levels were found to be low in all age and sex groups, the highest prevalence being in post-natals where 62 percent had plasma ferritin levels below 12 æg/l; 60 percent of pre-school age children had ferritin levels less than 12 æg/l. It was also found that 72.2 percent of pre-school children who were anaemic, according to WHO haemoglobin standards, had plasma ferritin levels below 12 æg/l. The percentage of other age and sex groups who were both anaemic and had a plasma ferritin level below 12 æg/l ranged from 23 percent to 67 percent. The results of the study indicated that iron deficiency and anaemia are still public health problems in Grenada (AU)