Soluble transferrin receptor in complicated anemia.

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Anemia Research

Background:

• Inflammatory conditions can elevate ferritin, complicating iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) diagnosis.
• Serum soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) is a potential biomarker for IDA in such cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review literature on the diagnostic efficacy of sTfR for complicated anemia.
• To assess sTfR's utility in identifying IDA when ferritin levels may be misleading.

Main Methods:

• Literature search for studies on complicated anemia with bone marrow examination as the gold standard for IDA.
• Evaluation of sTfR versus ferritin diagnostic performance.
• Inclusion of studies presenting binary data.

Main Results:

• Six studies met the inclusion criteria, but heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis.
• sTfR demonstrated higher overall sensitivity than ferritin.
• Ferritin sensitivity was notably influenced by the chosen cut-off values.

Conclusions:

• sTfR shows potential for diagnosing IDA in complicated anemia.
• Further well-designed studies are required to establish the added value of sTfR alongside ferritin.
• Optimal cut-offs for ferritin require further investigation in complex anemia cases.