Correlation of haemoglobin and red cell indices with serum ferritin in Indian women in second and third trimester of pregnancy

Prevalence of beta thalassemia carriers in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A large number of studies have reported that the prevalence of beta thalassemia carriers in India varies by ethnic groups. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the published studies and conduct a meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of beta thalassaemia carriers in India. A PubMed database search using keywords "beta thalassaemia AND India" identified 1088 articles of which 69 articles were included in the review. Studies using diagnostic tests and methods recommended by the International Council for Standardization in Haematology were used for calculation of pooled prevalence. Pooled prevalence was calculated using a random effects model using Review Manager version 5.3. Studies had screened five categories of populations, that is, the general population; tribal groups, communities not belonging to tribal groups, persons with anemia, and persons referred with a suspicion of hemoglobinopathy. This heterogeneity contributed to a high pooled prevalence of beta thalassemia carriers of 8.23% (95% CI 7.36-9.10). Sub-group analysis however yielded 3.74% (95% CI 2.52-4.97) pooled prevalence of beta thalassemia carriers in the general population. It was 4.6% (95% CI 3.2-6.2) among tribal groups. Quality of prevalence studies was limited by methodological issues including non-random sampling methods, heterogeneity of population types screened, and lack of use of recommended diagnostic cut-offs. Prevalence of beta thalassemia carriers was similar in tribal populations and the general population, indicating the need to further investigate the prevalence of beta thalassemia carriers in tribal groups.

Non-iron Deficiency Anemia in Rural Indian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

Anemia is an important public health concern, affecting almost 25% of the global population. In India, these statistics are even more worrisome with more than half of the children, non-pregnant and pregnant women being affected by the disease. Though the major cause of anemia is iron deficiency, other causes cannot be neglected considering the magnitude of the problem. The present study was designed to estimate the prevalence of non-iron deficiency anemia (NIDA) in Devbhoomi Dwarka District of Gujarat.

Methods

For this cross-sectional study, total of 258 mothers (antenatal and postnatal) were enrolled from 27 primary health centers. Apart from demographic details and obstetric history, hemoglobin and ferritin levels were measured from the participant’s blood after obtaining consent. Clinical information such as the history of recent illness and fever were also noted through questionnaires. Prevalence was anemia was calculated using a standard threshold of blood hemoglobin and NIDM was defined using ferritin levels.

Results

As per hemoglobin levels, anemia was present in 65.9% of the mothers, which was relatively higher in antenatal women (90%) as compared to postnatal women (57%). Ferritin levels showed that out of this total anemic mothers, 61.8% (105/258) have normal ferritin levels indicating the presence of non-iron deficiency. Trimester-wise analysis of anemia in AN showed that NIDM prevalence increases with increasing trimester in contrast to IDA where a considerable reduction was found with iron supplementation.

Conclusion

The study indicated that two out of every three women were anemic and only one out of four were anemic with depleted iron storage. These findings have important policy implications as in India the anemia control programs address only iron deficiency anemia and not NIDA. The development of a framework for diagnosis and appropriate treatment can be recommended for integration into national guidelines.

A Critical Analysis of the Automated Hematology Assessment in Pregnant Women at Low and at High Altitude: Association between Red Blood Cells, Platelet Parameters, and Iron Status

The objectives of the study were to determine differences in the parameters of red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), and platelets at low altitude (LA) and at high altitude (HA) and with the gestation being advanced, and to determine correlations between parameters of RBC and platelets. We also studied the association of RBC and platelets with markers of iron status. In addition, markers of iron status and inflammation were measured and compared at each trimester of gestation in pregnant women at LA and HA. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at Lima (150 m above sea level) and Cusco at 3400 m above sea level from May to December 2019. Hematological parameters in pregnant women (233 at LA and 211 at HA) were analyzed using an automated hematology analyzer. Serum ferritin levels, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), hepcidin, erythropoietin, testosterone, estradiol, and interleukin-6 (IL6) levels were measured by ELISA. One-way ANOVA supplemented with post hoc test, chi-square test, and Pearson correlation test statistical analyses were performed. p < 0.05 was considered significant. Pregnant woman at HA compared to LA had significantly lower WBC (p < 0.01), associated with higher parameters of the RBC, except for the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) that was no different (p > 0.05). Platelets and mean platelet volume (MPV) were higher (p < 0.01), and platelet distribution width (PDW) was lower at HA than at LA (p < 0.01). A higher value of serum ferritin (p < 0.01), testosterone (p < 0.05), and hepcidin (p < 0.01) was observed at HA, while the concentration of sTfR was lower at HA than at LA (p < 0.01). At LA, neutrophils increased in the third trimester (p < 0.05). RBC parameters decreased with the progress of the gestation, except RDW-CV, which increased. The platelet count decreased and the MPV and PDW were significantly higher in the third trimester. Serum ferritin, hepcidin, and serum testosterone decreased, while sTfR and serum estradiol increased during gestation. At HA, the WBC and red blood cell distribution width- coefficient of variation (RDW-CV), PCT, and serum IL-6 did not change with gestational trimesters. RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and platelet count were lower as gestation advanced. MCV, MPV, and PDW increased in the third trimester. Serum ferritin, testosterone, and hepcidin were lower in the third trimester. Serum estradiol, erythropoietin, and sTfR increased as gestation progressed. Direct or inverse correlations were observed between RBC and platelet parameters and LA and HA. A better number of significant correlations were observed at HA. Hb, Hct, and RDW-CV showed a significant correlation with serum ferritin at LA and HA. Of these parameters, RDW-CV and PDW showed an inversely significant association with ferritin (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a different pattern was observed in hematological markers as well as in iron status markers between pregnant women at LA and HA. In pregnant women a significant correlation between several RBC parameters with platelet marker parameters was also observed. Data suggest that pregnant women at HA have adequate iron status during pregnancy as reflected by higher serum ferritin levels, lower sTfR levels, and higher hepcidin values than pregnant women at LA.

Red blood cell distribution width-standard deviation but not red blood cell distribution width-coefficient of variation as a potential index for the diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia in mid-pregnancy women

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic values of red blood cell distribution width-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) and red blood cell distribution width-standard deviation (RDW-SD) in mid-pregnancy women with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). To obtain the results, 115 mid-pregnancy women with IDA, defined as the IDA group, and 142 healthy mid-pregnancy women, selected as the control group, were enrolled in this study. Hematological parameters and ferritin concentrations in the serum were analyzed. The efficiency of RDW-CV and RDW-SD to distinguish IDA from mid-pregnancy women was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The RDW-SD value in the IDA group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05), while the RDW-CV value did not differ between them (p = 0.84). Significantly negative correlations were found between RDW-CV (r = −0.297, p = 0.001), RDW-SD (r = −0.404, p = 0.000), and serum ferritin in the IDA group but not in the control group. For the diagnosis of IDA, RDW-CV and RDW-SD produced areas under the ROC curves of 0.58 and 0.84. To conclude, our results suggest that RDW-SD, but not RDW-CV, can be used as a diagnostic index of IDA for mid-pregnancy women.

Prevalence and foetomaternal effects of iron deficiency anaemia among pregnant women in Lagos, Nigeria

Anaemia in pregnancy is a major health problem and an important cause of adverse foetomaternal outcomes in developing countries. Iron deficiency is the cause of the overwhelming majority of the cases of anaemia in pregnancy. Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) has been linked with adverse foetal and maternal outcomes. This study investigated the prevalence of IDA and evaluated its effects on foetomaternal outcomes among parturients in Lagos, Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 220 women aged 15–49 years with singleton gestation at term, between May 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017. Participants were selected by systematic sampling and baseline data were collected through interviews. Venous blood samples were obtained to measure haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations, and the associations between IDA (defined as anaemia and iron deficiency) and pregnancy outcomes were examined. A P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The prevalence of IDA was 12.3%. Routine antenatal iron supplementation (adjusted odds ratio 0.18, 95% confidence interval 0.07–0.46; P = 0.001) and interpregnancy interval of at least 2 years (adjusted odds ratio 0.20, 95% confidence interval 0.05–0.97; P = 0.021) have significant association with IDA. Iron deficiency anaemia was not significantly associated with adverse perinatal outcomes but there were significant associations with increased risk of blood transfusion (P = 0.001) and maternal infectious morbidities such as puerperal pyrexia (P = 0.041) and wound infection (P = 0.020). IDA is still a fairly common condition among parturients in Lagos and it’s mostly associated with maternal peripartum morbidities. Adequate pregnancy spacing through the use of effective contraception and routine antenatal iron supplementations in pregnancy is a recommended preventive measure against IDA and its adverse sequelae. Future studies should adopt the use of transferrin saturation (TSAT) in compliment with serum ferritin assay as a more sensitive marker of iron deficiency.

Utility of erythrocyte indices in identifying iron depletion in pregnancy

Background

Iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy is common and is a major cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity worldwide. Serum ferritin is the current gold standard test for identifying iron depletion, with a cut-off value of 30 µg/L. Recent studies in low- and middle-income countries have identified mean cell haemoglobin concentration as a surrogate marker for the prediction of iron depletion.

Methods

We studied values from 786 antenatal blood results from 2018 in Oxford, UK, and correlated the red cell indices with serum ferritin measurements.

Results

Haemoglobin, mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin and mean cell haemoglobin concentration have low specificity and sensitivity for the identification of iron depletion.

Conclusions

We found that haemoglobin, mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin and mean cell haemoglobin concentration do not have sufficient predictive value in this population to be used as a screening test for non-anaemic iron depletion.

Red blood cell distribution width in pregnancy: a systematic review

Anisocytosis has been associated with the severity and prognosis of several acute and chronic diseases, as well as physiological conditions such as pregnancy. Anisocytosis is quantified by the red blood cell distribution width (RDW), expressed as the ratio, multiplied by 100, between the standard deviation (SD) of red blood cell volumes and the mean corpuscular volume, or as the SD of erythrocyte volumes (RDW-SD). The aim of the present review was to report the state of the art on the physiological values and the putative diagnostic and prognostic roles of RDW in complicated pregnancy. Literature research for articles published in the last ten years was conducted in Pubmed, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Scopus databases. Abstracts were independently screened by two investigators. If relevant, full articles were retrieved. References, in these articles, citing relevant reviews or original studies were also accessed to identify additional eligible studies. Any disagreement between the reviewers was resolved by a third investigator. A total of 28 studies were included in the review. These studies reported changes in RDW values during physiological pregnancy, and associations between the RDW and several pregnancy complications including anaemia, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and recurrent miscarriage. This review provides background information for establishing physiological and pathological RDW values in pregnancy for diagnostic and prognostic use in clinical practice.

The role of haematological indices in predicting early iron deficiency among pregnant women in an urban area of Sri Lanka

Background

Early detection and treatment of iron deficiency during pregnancy is crucial for optimum pregnancy outcomes. Anaemia is a late indictor of iron deficiency measured as Hb < 11 g/dL, and is widely used as a proxy for iron deficiency. We aimed to evaluate the role of red cell indices as a screening tool for early detection of iron deficiency among pregnant women in an urban area of Sri Lanka.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 110 apparently healthy pregnant women ≤12 weeks of gestation attending antenatal clinics in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Women already on nutritional supplements were excluded. Full blood count, serum ferritin (SF) and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) assessments were performed. The women with evidence of inflammation as indicated by hs-CRP > 10 mg/L were excluded (N = 20) from data analysis. Anaemia (Hb < 11 g/dL) and iron deficiency (SF < 30 μg/L) were defined according to WHO guidelines. Receiver operating characteristics curves were used to derive red blood cell indices that showed the optimal cut-offs in detecting early iron deficiency.

Results

Of the 90 women, 63 (70.0%) were iron deficient (SF < 30 μg/L), out of whom 10 (15.9%) were identified as having iron deficiency anaemia (Hb < 11 g/dL). A high sensitivity (> 70%) in the prediction of iron deficiency was obtained for the optimal cut-off values of Hb < 12.2 g/dL, MCV < 83.2 fl, MCH < 26.9 pg and MCHC 33.2 g/dL while maintaining a specificity > 40%.

Conclusion

Iron deficiency can be predicted in early stages using Hb and red cell indices, which is much less expensive. This could be a useful method in areas with limited resources and a high prevalence of iron deficiency.

Management of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Pregnancy in India

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) continues to be the commonest etiology of anemia in pregnancy. The prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) in pregnant Indian women is amongst the highest in the world. Untreated iron deficiency (ID) has significant adverse feto-maternal consequences. Plethora of investigations are available for diagnosis of IDA, each having specific advantages and disadvantages when used in the pregnancy setting. Therapy for ID includes dietary modification, oral iron supplementation, intravenous iron and blood transfusion. Newer parenteral iron preparations are safe and there is mounting evidence to suggest their use in frontline settings for pregnancy associated IDA in the second and third trimester. Through this review, we suggest an algorithm for diagnosis and treatment of IDA in pregnancy depending on the severity of anemia and period of gestation suited for widespread use in resource limited settings. Also, we recommend ways for increasing public awareness and tackling this health issue including the observance of "National Anemia Awareness and Treatment Day."

Anemia and Dental Caries in Pregnant Women: a Prospective Cohort Study

The objective was to evaluate the effect of anemia during pregnancy on the risk of dental caries development in pregnant women. A prospective cohort including a sample of pregnant women in a prenatal care unit of São Luís, Brazil, was done. The incidence of dental caries during pregnancy, according to Nyvad's criteria, was the outcome. The main independent variables were serum iron, ferritin, hemoglobin, erythrocyte, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and red cell distribution width (RDW). Pregnant women (n = 121) were evaluated at two moments: up to 16th week of gestational age (T1) and in the last trimester of pregnancy (T2). Crude and adjusted associations were estimated by the incidence ratio risk (IRR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). After adjustment, higher serum concentrations of ferritin (IRR = 0.97, 95%CI 0.95-0.99) in T1, and Fe (IRR = 0.99, 95%CI 0.98-0.99), ferritin (IRR = 0.99, 95%CI 0.98-0.99), erythrocyte (IRR = 0.71, 95%CI 0.50-0.99), hemoglobin (IRR = 0.84, 95%CI 0.73-0.96), hematocrit (IRR = 0.93, 95%CI 0.88-0.98), MCV (IRR = 0.91, 95%CI 0.86-0.96), and MCH (IRR = 0.83, 95%CI 0.74-0.93) in T2, were associated with fewer incidence of dental caries in pregnant women. Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy is a risk factor for the incidence of dental caries in these women.

Could the erythrocyte indices or serum ferritin predict the therapeutic response to a trial with oral iron during pregnancy? Results from the Accuracy study for Maternal Anaemia diagnosis (AMA)

Background

Treatment of maternal iron-deficiency anaemia can reduce risks of prematurity and low birth weight; hence a reliable diagnosis of maternal iron needs is critical. However, erythrocyte indices and serum ferritin have shown a weak correlation with iron status during pregnancy. This study verified the accuracy of those tests to predict the responsiveness to a therapeutic test with oral iron as reference standard for iron deficiency in pregnant women.

Methods

A prospective diagnostic study phase 3 was conducted in a single prenatal care center in Northeast Brazil. Between August 2011 and October 2012 a consecutive sampling included 187 women in their 2^nd-3^rd trimesters of low-risk pregnancy and having anaemia (haemoglobin <11.0 g/dL). Until December 2012, 139 women completed a trial with daily pills of ferrous sulfate (40 mg of iron), during 23 to 125 days. Haemoglobin (Hb), other erythrocyte indices and ferritin (index-tests) were assessed pre-treatment by automated analyzers. Hb was performed also post-treatment to assess the therapeutic response by its post-pretreatment differences. We estimated sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), predictive values (PV), likelihood ratios (LR), diagnostic Odds Ratio (OR), area under Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy ratio and agreement coefficient of the index-tests against an increase of at least 0.55 Hb Z-score (reference standard test). We calculated the Z-scores according to the reference population from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Results

Hb had a mean increase of 0.24 Z-score after 30 iron pills (p 0.013). All index-tests demonstrated PV- above 70 %, PV+ around 40 %, LR around 1.0, and AUC of 0.5 to 0.6. Hb and haematocrit had Se of 50 % (95 % CI 40 to 70); and Sp of 59 % (95 % CI 43 to 74) and 47 % (95 % CI 38 to 57), respectively. Ferritin, Mean Corpuscular Volume, Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin, Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration and Red blood cell Distribution Width had Se below 40 % with Sp above 70 %.

Conclusions

Erythrocyte indices and ferritin could not predict the iron needs of anemic pregnant women. Increases of Hb Z-scores after a short treatment with oral iron may be a reliable therapeutic test.

Trial registration

World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform U1111-1123-2605; Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials RBR-237wbg, registered 28 July 2011

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-016-1005-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The effect of maternal anemia on maternal and neonatal outcomes in twin pregnancies

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of second trimester anemia on maternal and perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies.

METHODS

A retrospective population-based study was conducted, comparing maternal and neonatal outcomes in women carrying twins, with second trimester anemia (defined as hemoglobin < 10 g/dl) to those without anemia (defined as hemoglobin > or equal to 10 g/dl). Deliveries occurred in a tertiary medical center in 2013.

RESULTS

During the study period, there were 307 twin deliveries. Hemoglobin levels were available for 247 (80.4%) twins; 66 (26.7%) of these had anemia (<10 g/dl) during the second trimester. Women with second trimester anemia had a higher parity (p=0.03), and needed more blood transfusions than those with hemoglobin level > or equal to 10 g/dl (OR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.11-2.43, p < 0.001). No significant differences were noted between the groups regarding other obstetrical outcomes or regarding perinatal outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Second trimester anemia in women carrying twins is associated with a high parity and increases the risk for blood transfusions. However, in our population, maternal anemia in twin gestations does not increase the risk for adverse perinatal outcome.

Evaluation of hemoglobin performance in the assessment of iron stores in feto-maternal pairs in a high-risk population: receiver operating characteristic curve analysis

Objective

By applying receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the objective of this study was to see whether hemoglobin levels reflect body iron stores in a group of pregnant women at term who, by using serum ferritin as the reference test, had a high pre-test probability of having iron deficiency anemia. Likewise, we evaluated the ability of hemoglobin and maternal serum ferritin levels to predict iron deficiency anemia in newborns.

Methods

Hemoglobin and serum ferritin were measured in 187 pregnant women at term belonging to a group with a high pre-test probability of iron deficiency anemia and their newborns. Women with Hb <11.0 g/dL and newborns with cord Hb <13.0 g/dL were classified as anemic. A serum ferritin <12.0 μg/L in women and a cord blood serum ferritin <35.0 μg/L were considered to reflect empty iron stores. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was applied to select the cut-off points that better reflected iron stores.

Results

The Hb cut-off point selected by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in women was <11.5 g/dL (sensitivity: 60.82, specificity: 53.33%, Youden Index: 0.450). Most of the newborns had normal Hb which precluded this analysis. Maternal Hb <11.0 g/dL was the cut-off point that best reflected iron deficiency anemia in newborns (sensitivity: 55.88%, specificity: 57.24%, Youden Index: 0.217). The best cut-off point of maternal serum ferritin to reflect empty iron stores in newborns was <6.0 μg/L (sensitivity: 76.47%, specificity: 31.58%, Youden Index: 0.200).

Conclusion

Hemoglobin concentration performed poorly to detect iron deficiency anemia in women at term with high risk for iron deficiency and their newborns.