[Iron deficiency reduces systemic inflammation in obese women]

Introduction: Iron plays an important role in the functioning of immunological monitoring due to its stimulating and differentiating effect on the immune system. Obesity is accompanied by chronic low grade inflammation and may be accompanied by a change in the concentration of iron in the blood serum. The aim of the study was to determine the level of systemic inflammation in iron deficiency anemia in patients with obesity.

Materials and methods: 40 women with iron deficiency anemia (30 with obesity and 10 without obesity) and 10 with obesity of a similar age (control group) participated in the study. We evaluated hemogram parameters, indicators of iron exchange (serum iron, ferritin, hepcidin, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation) and inflammatory markers: C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in the blood serum.

Results: All patients were females with an average age of 40.3 ± 7.59 years. In the distribution of patients by the cause and the severity degree of iron deficiency anemia, there is no probable difference between the groups. C-reactive protein was significantly higher in women in the control group as compared with the groups of women with iron deficiency anemia (p <0.05). Meanwhile, the groups with iron deficiency anemia had insignificant differences (p> 0.05). Interleukin-6 also had a higher level in the control group as compared with the groups of women who had iron deficiency anemia (p <0.05) and, in contrast to the C-reactive protein of the group with iron deficiency anemia, had a significant divergence (p <0.05). Hepcidin of blood serum was higher in women with iron deficiency anemia without obesity (p<0.05) as compared to women with obesity and control group who did not have a significant difference (p> 0.05).

Conclusions: The level of systemic inflammation in iron deficiency anemia in patients with obesity is lower than in patients with iron deficiency anemia, which was determined by levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in the blood serum.