Prevalence Of Ferritin Research Articles

The Hidden Hunger among Nepalese Non-Pregnant Women Aged 15-49 Years: The Role of Individual, Household, and Community-Level Factors.

Micronutrient deficiencies remain a public health burden among non-pregnant women in developing countries, including Nepal. Hence, this study examined micronutrient deficiencies among non-pregnant Nepalese women aged 15-49 using the 2016 Nepal National Micronutrient Status Survey (NNMSS). Data for 2143 non-pregnant women was extracted from the 2016 NNMSS. The study analysed the levels of ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), red blood cell (RBC) folate, and zinc of the participants. Multivariable logistic analysis was carried out to assess factors associated with micronutrient deficiencies. The prevalence of ferritin, sTfR, folate, and zinc was observed to be 19%, 13%, 16%, and 21%, respectively. Non-pregnant women from the Janajati region were significantly less prone to high levels of ferritin [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25, 0.80], and those who had body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or higher had significantly elevated ferritin levels [AOR: 2.69; 95% CI: 1.01, 7.17]. Non-pregnant women aged 35-49 years were significantly less predisposed to folate deficiency [AOR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.83], and the odds of zinc deficiency were significantly lower among non-pregnant women from wealthier households [AOR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.76]. This study provides further insight into screening high-risk subgroups and instituting public health interventions to address the prevailing micronutrient deficiencies among non-pregnant Nepalese women.

Prevalence of Ferritin, Folate and Vitamin B12 Deficiencies Amongst Children in 5–18 years of Age in Delhi

To the Editor: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3)documented the prevalence of anemia as 76.4 % amongstchildren. Studies have documented iron, folate and vitaminB12 to be the causes of nutritional anemia. However there islimited data on prevalence of iron, folate and vitamin B12deficiencies amongst children in India. We would like toreport results of a sub study undertaken, in a large surveydata set, amongst children of 5–18 y in National CapitalTerritory of Delhi, which has been published earlier.A total of 1037 children in the age group of 5–18 y wereincluded in the present study. The study was approved byethical committee of All India Institute of Medical Sciences.Blood was drawn and transported to the central laborato-ry at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi forseparation of serum. Serum ferritin was determined by theenzyme linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA) method [1].The levels less than 12 ng/mL were considered as indicativeof iron deficiency. Serum folate was determined by theRadio-immuno assay (RIA) method. The levels less than3 ng/mL were considered as indicative of folic acid defi-ciency [2]. Serum B12 was estimated utilizing the radioisotopic. The levels less than 200 pg/mL were consideredas indicative of cobalamin deficiency [3].Prevalence of ferritin, folate and B12 deficiencies wereobserved to be 54.5 %, 42.0 % and 67.2 % for children inthe age group of 5–11 y, and 55.0 %, 30.7 % and 68.3 % forchildren in the age group of 12–18 y, respectively.An earlier community based study documented that 88 %of the children below 6 y had low serum ferritin levels [4].Similarly, the prevalence of folate deficiency as 50 % andcobalamin deficiency as 62 % has been reported earlier [5].The present study revealed that there was a high preva-lence of deficiency of iron, folate and B12 amongst childrenin the age group of 5–18 y.References

Relation of Serum Ferritin Level to Cardiovascular Fitness Among Young Men

Although iron overload is associated with fatigue and low ferritin is associated with decreased cardiovascular fitness (CVF), little research has focused on the relation of elevated ferritin with CVF in young adult men. An analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002 was conducted to examine the relation between elevated ferritin and CVF in relatively healthy young adult men. Adult men aged 20 to 49 years (unweighted n = 1,030, weighted n = 28,514,823) who participated in a treadmill test for CVF were evaluated. Logistic regressions were computed for ferritin with CVF, adjusting for age, race or ethnicity, body mass index, anemia, smoking, exercise, blood donation, and C-reactive protein. Subjects with ferritin >300 ng/ml were less likely than those with normal ferritin to have high CVF (odds ratio [OR] 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32 to 0.99). When ferritin was split into categories, in a fully adjusted model with a reference group of ferritin at 16 to 100 ng/ml, except for ferritin >100 but <150 ng/ml (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.08), higher ferritin was associated with a decreased likelihood of high CVF (>150 but <200 ng/ml: OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.77; >200 but <300 ng/ml: OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.72; >300 ng/ml: OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.70). The prevalence of ferritin >150 ng/ml was 45.5% in young adult men. In conclusion, elevated ferritin levels, even those much lower than what is normally considered to be elevated, were associated with a decreased likelihood of having high CVF in young adult men.

The serum ferritin concentration is a significant prognostic indicator of survival in primary lung cancer

The prognostic significance of serum ferritin on survival in lung cancer was evaluated. One hundred and ninety-seven patients were referred for evaluation of pulmonary lesions; 115 patients (85 men) had primary lung cancer. Their median age was 57 years. Seventy-four patients (43 men) with benign lung disease were enrolled as controls. Their median age was 53 years. Serum ferritin was measured at diagnosis. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n=90) was graded according to the TNM-system and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (n=25) in limited and extensive disease. Follow-up was median 30 months (range 23-36). Patients with lung cancer had higher median ferritin than controls (245 vs. 145 microg/l, p<0.00001): the prevalence of ferritin >300 microg/l was 37% in patients with lung cancer and 14% in controls (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in ferritin between patients with different stages either in NSCLC or in SCLC. Patients with SCLC had higher median ferritin than patients with NSCLC (344 vs. 233 microg/l, p<0.05). No significant differences in ferritin could be demonstrated among the other histological tumour types. The overall survival rate in patients with lung cancer was 52% after 1 year, 33% after 2 years, and 13% after 3 years. Survival rate was lower in patients with ferritin >300 microg/l than in those with ferritin < or =300 microg/l (p<0.0001). The probability of survival 1, 2 and 3 years after diagnosis in patients with ferritin >300 microg/l was 36, 20 and 4%, respectively, and in patients with ferritin < or =300 it was 63, 42 and 18%, respectively (p<0.0001). An elevated ferritin was a significant prognostic factor (p<0.01) even after adjustment for performance status, age, sex, TNM stage, and histological tumour type. TNM stage and performance status were likewise predictors of survival (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively). There exists a clinically relevant relationship between serum ferritin concentration and the prognosis of survival in patients with primary lung cancer. The routine use of serum ferritin should be considered in the evaluation and follow-up of pulmonary malignancies.

Epidemiological evidence for a differential effect of hookworm species, Ancylostoma duodenale or Necator americanus, on iron status of children.

The hookworms, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, cause significant gastrointestinal blood loss. In clinical studies, greater blood losses have been reported with A. duodenale. However, there has been no evidence that endemic A. duodenale infection has greater impact than N. americanus infection on the iron status of populations. In a sample of 525 school children in Pemba Island, Tanzania, we compared the degree of anaemia and iron deficiency associated with the two hookworm species at the individual and community (i.e. school) levels. Multiple regression was used to control for infection intensities and other child characteristics. In the 492 children with hookworm positive faecal cultures, haemoglobin and ferritin concentrations decreased with increasing proportions of A. duodenale. Among children with only N. americanus larvae, the prevalence of anaemia was 60.5 % and the prevalence of ferritin <12 microg/l was 33.1%, while in children with > or =50% A. duodenale larvae, the respective prevalences were 80.6% and 58.9%. When children were grouped by the prevalence of A. duodenale at the school level, children from high prevalence (> or =20%) schools had significantly worse iron deficiency and anaemia than children from low prevalence schools. The species of hookworm being transmitted in a community influences the burden of iron deficiency anaemia in the community, and should be considered in prioritizing and planning programmes for hookworm and anaemia control.