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Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 2004 50(6):369-371; doi:10.1093/tropej/50.6.369
© 2004 by Oxford University Press
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Brief Reports

Serum Transferrin Receptor Levels in Beta-thalassemia Trait

Aysin DemirA1, Nese YaraliA1, Tunc FisginA2, Feride DuruA1,* and Abdurrahman KaraA1

A1 Dr Sami Ulus Children’s Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, A2 Department of Pediatric Hematology, 19 Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey

Increased levels of transferrin receptors (TfR) and soluble TfR (sTfR) are reliable indicators of iron deficiency anemia and conditions with enhanced erythropoietic activity. In this study wemeasured sTfR levels in the cases of beta-thalassemia trait (ßTT) and IDA to see whether it would be a diagnostic tool for the differentiation of ßTT and IDA. On the other hand STfR levels could give an idea about erythropoietic activity in ßTT. Serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels were measured with enzyme immune assay in 37 cases with ßTT, in 26 patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA), in 17 patients with the coexistence of ßTT with IDA, and in 21 healthy controls. Mean sTfR in ßTT (6.54 1.88) were statistically higher than in controls (5.09 0.76) and lower than in IDA (11.46 5.03) and in IDA coexistence with ßTT (14.44 5.3, p < 0.05 in each comparison). However, in 17 cases with ßTT sTfR levels showed an overlap between the patients with IDA, and in 15 cases with ßTT it also showed an overlap with controls. The finding of higher sTfR levels in ßTT compared with controls suggested that there was a degree of ineffective hematopoiesis in ßTT. Although sTfR levels in IDA were higher than in ßTT, because of largely overlapping values in both groups, it was not satisfactory to distinguish ßTT from IDA.

* Correspondence: Feride Duru, MD, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Dr Sami Ulus Children’s Hospital, Telsizler-Ankara 06900 Turkey. E-mail <yarali{at}ada.net.tr>


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