HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (11) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Harthoorn-Lasthuizen, E. J. Articles by Langenhuijsen, M. M.A.C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Harthoorn-Lasthuizen, E. J. Articles by Langenhuijsen, M. M.A.C. Related Collections Proteomics and Protein Markers Hematology Endocrinology and Metabolism

Serum Transferrin Receptor and Erythrocyte Zinc Protoporphyrin in Patients with Anemia,

¹ Laboratory of Hematology; Bosch Medicentrum, Nieuwstraat 34, 5211 NL ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

² Department of Clinical Chemistry; St. Anna Ziekenhuis, 5340 BE Oss, The Netherlands

³ Department of Clinical Chemistry; Akademisch Ziekenhuis, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands

⁴ Department of Hematology; Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
^a author for correspondence: fax 31-73-6162958

The conventional laboratory test for diagnosing iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the measurement of serum ferritin. In healthy persons, serum ferritin is directly proportional to body iron stores. In the presence of anemia, a value <20 µg/L is regarded as evidence of IDA (1). In patients with anemia of chronic disease (ACD), an increase in serum ferritin, unrelated to iron storage status, occurs. Serum ferritin concentrations usually exceed 100 µg/L when iron stores are adequate, but they may still be within the reference interval in the presence of coexisting iron deficiency (1). The assay lacks sensitivity in diagnosing IDA in patients with ACD, as well as in patients with acute infections and with liver diseases.

The best established method for evaluating iron stores is examination of bone marrow iron, but this test is cumbersome and expensive.

Since the early 1970s, measurement of the zinc protoporphyrin concentration (ZPP) in erythrocytes has been used as test for iron deficiency. When there is insufficient iron for incorporation into protoporphyrin IX to form heme, ZPP increases, indicating iron-deficient erythropoiesis (2). Most authors have reported a high sensitivity in diagnosing IDA, irrespective of the presence of complicating diseases (3)(4)(5). However, disturbed incorporation of iron into protoporphyrin IX can also occur in other diseases, such as ACD, hemolytic anemias, bone marrow diseases, and lead intoxication. The specificity of ZPP in diagnosing IDA is limited (6)(7).

In recent years, the measurement of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) fragments has been introduced for the identification of iron deficiency (8). The concentration of sTfR is directly proportional to the number of red cell precursors. An exception to this rule is in patients with IDA. A reduction in iron supply leads to up-regulation . . . [Full Text of this Article]

References

The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:

				M. B Zimmermann, L. Molinari, F. Staubli-Asobayire, S. Y Hess, N. Chaouki, P. Adou, and R. F Hurrell Serum transferrin receptor and zinc protoporphyrin as indicators of iron status in African children Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2005; 81(3): 615 - 623. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]