[Biological diagnosis of iron deficiency in children]

Relationship between zinc content and carbonic anhydrase activity in blood of anemic pregnant women in Turkey

AIMS

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) in pregnancy plays an important part in gaseous exchange across the placenta. The aim of our study was to determine the relationship between zinc content and the CA activity in blood of anemic and normal pregnant women in their third trimester, in Turkey.

METHODS

The patients with hemoglobin values below 11 g/dL were accepted as anemic. CA enzyme activity and zinc levels in erythrocyte of anemic and non-anemic pregnant women were carried out in 27 non-anemic pregnant women and 31 anemic pregnant women. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) levels of the participants were also tested.

RESULTS

Zinc levels were lower in the anemic group compared to the non-anemic group (P = 0.049). Total CA enzyme activity was also lower in the anemic group (P = 0.044). MCV levels were found to be lower in the anemic group (P = 0.007). The decrease in these values was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to evaluate the zinc content in red blood cells of anemic pregnant women in the third trimester and its relationship with carbonic anhydrase activity. CA isoenzymes to work healthily, providing iron and zinc supports is important for fetal development.

Glycated albumin versus HbA1c as indicators of glycemic control in type I diabetic children with iron deficiency anemia

We evaluated the clinical usefulness of glycated albumin (GA) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as indicators of glycemic control in type I diabetic (T1DM) children with and without iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Our prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 147 T1DM children who were classified into Group I (with IDA) and Group II (without anemia). The participants were classified as controlled and uncontrolled based on mean blood glucose (MBG) in the past 30 days. The 5–12-yr-olds with MBG above 200 and 12–15-yr-olds with levels above 180 md/dl were considered uncontrolled. HbA1c increased significantly in the participants with IDA compared to those without anemia (p < 0.01). HbA1c in those with IDA showed insignificant difference between the controlled and uncontrolled (p = 0.5), while GA was significantly higher in the uncontrolled than the controlled (p = 0.3). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that GA had 87.2% sensitivity and 75.8% specificity at a cut-off point of 16.9%. HbA1c at a cut-off point of 7.09% showed 80% sensitivity and 57.6% specificity. For prediction of uncontrolled diabetes in children with IDA, we concluded that HbA1c increases significantly in diabetic children with IDA. GA may be a useful alternative biomarker for evaluating the glycemic control in such children.

Diagnosis and management of iron deficiency in children with or without anemia: consensus recommendations of the SPOG Pediatric Hematology Working Group

Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency affecting children and adolescents worldwide. A consistent body of epidemiological data demonstrates an increased incidence of iron deficiency at three timepoints: in the neonatal period, in preschool children, and in adolescents, where it particularly affects females.Conclusion: This narrative review focuses on the most suggestive symptoms of iron deficiency in childhood, describes the diagnostic procedures in situations with or without anemia, and provides Swiss expert-based management recommendations for the pediatric context.What is Known:• Iron deficiency (ID) is one of the most common challenges faced by pediatricians.• Significant progress in the diagnosis and therapy of ID has been made over the last decade.What is New:• Our expert panel provides ID management recommendations based on the best available evidence.• They include strategies for ID diagnosis and therapy, both oral and intravenous.