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Elevated serum transferrin receptor concentration in children with juvenile chronic arthritis as evidence of iron

S M Kivivuori1, P Pelkonen, H Ylijoki

  • 1Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola, Finland.

Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
|March 21, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels were elevated in children with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) and anemia. This suggests sTfR may help differentiate iron deficiency anemia from anemia of chronic disease in these patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Hematology
  • Clinical Biochemistry

Background:

  • Juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) can cause anemia of chronic disease, mimicking iron deficiency anemia.
  • Distinguishing between these anemia types is crucial for appropriate treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the utility of serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) concentration in identifying iron status in anemic children with JCA.
  • To determine if elevated sTfR can differentiate iron deficiency from anemia of chronic disease in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Measured sTfR concentrations in 30 children diagnosed with JCA.
  • Analyzed correlations between sTfR levels and hemoglobin parameters.

Main Results:

  • Median sTfR was elevated at 6.1 mg/l, with 43% of patients exceeding the normal range.
  • Inverse correlations were observed between sTfR and hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin.
  • Elevated sTfR was found in 13 out of 30 JCA patients.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated sTfR concentrations in anemic JCA patients suggest potential iron dysregulation.
  • sTfR shows promise as a biomarker to distinguish iron-deficiency anemia from anemia of chronic disease in JCA.
  • Further research is warranted to validate sTfR as a diagnostic tool in this context.
Abstract

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