Serum ferritin and other iron indices in adult Nigerians with chronic renal failure — Review of management of anaemia

Abstract

Iron studies were earned out in twenty five adult male and female patients with chronic renal failure and thirty one "healthy" individuals as control. Results showed moderately severe anaemia in all the patients with a mean haemoglobin concentration of 7.4mg/dl (range 6-9.8 gm/dl). Transfering saturation of 28.8% in the patients was similar to the value of 29.2% in the control group. However, the mean scrum ferritin value of 610pg/L in the patients was significantly higher than the corresponding values of 165pg/L and 58pg/L in the control groups respectively. In patients with chronic renal failure, three out of ten bone marrow aspiration showed no stainablc iron, and in five patients, iron was grossly increased with corresponding increases in scrum ferritin values. In addition, four of the five patients had severe megaloblastic changes in the marrow.