Serum transferrin receptor in the megaloblastic anemia of cobalamin deficiency

In order to further study the relation between transferrin receptor and erythropoiesis we examined serum receptor levels in megaloblastic anemia, which is the classic example of ineffective erythropoiesis. We studied 33 patients with unequivocal cobalamin deficiency, only 22 of whom were anemic. High serum transferrin receptor levels were found in 12 patients, all of whom were anemic and had high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels; in contrast, only 10 of the 21 patients with normal receptor levels were anemic. Receptor correlated most strongly with LDH (r = 0.573, p < 0.001) and, inversely, with hemoglobin values (r = -0.560, p < 0.001); it also correlated with ferritin and total bilirubin levels, but not with cobalamin, MCV or erythropoietin. No association was found with the hemolytic component of megaloblastic anemia, represented indirectly by haptoglobin levels. Changes induced by cobalamin therapy were also examined in 13 patients. Transferrin receptors rose in all 6 patients who initially had high levels and in 2 of 3 patients who had borderline levels, but not in the 4 patients with initially normal levels. The receptor levels began to rise within 1-3 days, peaked at about 2 weeks and returned to normal at about the 5th wk. The findings indicate that serum transferrin receptor levels reflect the severity of the megaloblastic anemia. The elevated receptor levels rise further with cobalamin therapy, however, as effective erythropoiesis replaces ineffective erythropoiesis, and these persist until the increased erythropoiesis returns to normal.