dc.description.abstract | Abstract:-Iron deficiency can be identified as
the most common micro-nutrient disorder
and cause of anemia. Most frequently occurred
in children under the age of 5 years, females of
childbearing age and pregnant women. Study
population comprised of untreated female
patients, between 15-35 years of age (n=111)
with Iron deficiency due to nutritional
deficiency; from Thalassemia unit, Colombo
North teaching hospital. In order to generate a
comparison, of the correlations in a healthy
person and an Iron deficient patient, a control
population (n=60) were selected according
age and gender matched patient population.
The Thalassemia unit was chosen, as those
patients who could make a major effect on
hemoglobin levels, could be eliminated. Blood
from the selected patients were collected for
Full blood count analysis with Reticulocyte
count and Serum Ferritin analysis. The
Pearson’s moment correlation of coefficient
(r) of patient population (n=111); between Hb
and Abs.Retic is r = - 0.432, a moderate
negative correlation (t-test: P=0.000 < 0.01),
between Hb and S. Ferritin r = 0.570, a strong
positive correlation (t-test: P=0.000 < 0.01),
between Abs.Retic count and S. Ferritin r= -
0.268, a weak negative correlation (t-test:
P=0.000 < 0.01). There were no correlations
between parameters of control population.
The Hb sub-group 9- 9.9 g/dL of patient
population contributed to the significant
strong negative correlation (t-test: r=-0.717;
P=0.000<0.05) among all the groups. The
results of our study shows that the body starts
to present iron deficiency (ID) features
(Microcytosis, Hypochromasia) in blood
picture below Hb value 11.1 g/dL level.
Although, above the 11.1 g/dL of Hb the ID
features in blood picture is not prominent
there are symptoms of ID. At the Hb range 9 –
9.9 g/dL the Abs.Retic count increases by
about 6.804 x 1010/L which could be identified
as an attempt of compensating the bone
marrow in reduction of RBC production, in
Iron deficiency anemia. | en_US |