Salivary ferritin as a predictive marker of iron deficiency anemia in children
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Published on: April 28, 2022
N Jagannathan1, C Thiruvengadam, P Ramani
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha University, Chennai, India. nithubds@gmail.com
Insights
Salivary ferritin levels are significantly higher in children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). This finding suggests saliva ferritin may serve as a predictive marker for IDA and offers insights into oral epithelial changes.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatric Hematology
- Oral Medicine
Background:
- Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common pediatric condition.
- Oral manifestations are frequently observed in IDA patients.
- Ferritin, an iron-storage protein, plays a crucial role in iron homeostasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate salivary ferritin levels in children diagnosed with IDA.
- To assess the reliability of salivary ferritin as a predictive marker for IDA.
- To explore the potential link between salivary ferritin and oral epithelial changes in IDA.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 60 children (30 with IDA, 30 healthy controls) aged 8-14 years.
- Diagnosis of IDA confirmed by hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels.
- Saliva samples collected for ferritin analysis using solid-phase ELISA.
Main Results:
- Mean salivary ferritin levels were significantly higher in children with IDA (153.24 ± 46.58 µg/dL) compared to controls (93.87 ± 30.15 µg/dL).
- Elevated salivary ferritin demonstrates a statistically significant difference between IDA patients and healthy individuals.
Conclusions:
- Salivary ferritin levels are elevated in children with iron deficiency anemia.
- Salivary ferritin shows potential as a non-invasive predictive biomarker for IDA.
- Increased salivary ferritin may correlate with oral epithelial changes observed in IDA, possibly due to enzymatic activity and ferritin endocytosis.
Objectives:
The objective of the study was to determine the salivary Ferritin levels in children with iron deficiency anemia and its reliability as a predictive marker of the disease and whether these levels could give a new hypothetical insight on the oral epithelial changes seen in patients with iron deficiency anemia.
Study Design:
The study comprised of 60 children of which the study group comprised of 30 individuals; aged 8-14 years with iron deficiency anemia. Venous blood was collected and hematological examination was performed to determine the hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels to confirm the diagnosis. Saliva was then collected from 30 children with iron deficiency anemia and an equal number of controls. The ferritin levels in saliva were then analyzed using solid phase ELISA.
Result:
The mean value of salivary ferritin in iron deficient cases was 153.24 +/- 46.58 microg/dl and the mean ferritin levels in control subject were 93.87 +/- 30.15 microg/dl. Thus the salivary ferritin was found to be significantly higher in iron deficient subjects compared to the controls.
Conclusion:
The result of our research affirms the fact that the expression of ferritin in saliva of iron deficiency anemia may be due to the enzymatic functions in the saliva and the endocytosis of ferritin which can possibly elevate the salivary ferritin. The diminished level of cytochrome oxidase, together with its relatively high Ferritin content, depicts the association of oral epithelial changes and ferritin occurring in iron deficiency anemia.
