Abstract Background Shortened erythrocyte lifespan characterizes hemolytic anemia and impacts HbA1c values. Recently, erythrocyte creatine concentration (EC) measurement emerged as a new method to assess erythrocyte lifespan. However, literature reports conflicting findings regarding the association between erythrocyte lifespan and EC concentration. In our study, we noted low EC concentrations in renal diseases, typically linked to short erythrocyte lifespan, while iron deficiency anemia exhibited high EC concentrations. This contradicts established relationships, prompting a reevaluation of EC concentration assessment. The aim is to evaluate the clinical utility of EC concentration measurements by correlating them with various clinical parameters, including hematopoietic status. Methods EC concentrations were measured in 522 subjects (252 females, 270 males) aged 19 to 95 at Kawasaki Medical School Hospital. Medical records and laboratory test results from around one month before and after blood collection were used to create a database. Box-and-whisker plots illustrated EC concentration distribution for each disease, and scatter plots compared EC concentrations with laboratory parameters. Results EC concentrations were lower in renal diseases like Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease but higher in iron deficiency anemia (Fig. 1). Moreover, EC concentrations rose as hemoglobin concentrations declined, unaffected by CKD grade (Fig. 2). Conclusions While conventionally, high EC concentrations imply a short erythrocyte lifespan, our study noted the opposite trend. EC concentrations might not indicate erythrocyte lifespan but instead reflect hemoglobin synthesis. Investigating EC concentration's relationship with factors like iron and vitamin B12 involved in hemoglobin synthesis may unveil new clinical applications.
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