ABSTRACT
Iron deficiency anemia [IDA] does not only affect production of hemoglobin but also affect the production of other proteins containing iron Fe[2+] such as cytochromes, myoglobin, catalase, peroxidase. Impairment of antioxidant defence system and reduced cellular immunity were previously reported in patients with IDA The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of glutathione peroxidase [GSH- PX] in children with IDA with a conventional laboratory tests of iron status in identification of iron deficiency in children with microcytic hypochromic anemia. We studied thirty children [18 females, 12 males] with a mean age SD of [6. +/- 1.67], they suffering from IDA [IDA children] and ten apparently healthy age and sex matched control children [controls]. All children were subjected to complete history taking, thorough clinical examination and the following investigations; Complete Blood Picture [CBC], Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate [ESR], Serum Iron [SI], Total Iron Binding Capacity [TIBC], Serum Ferritin and Glutathione Peroxidase [GPX] levels. IDA children had significantly decreased RBCs count, Hct value, Hb, MCV, MCH, MCHC levels [P>0.05] and significantly increased RDW and Platelets Count [P<0.01] as compared to controls. The mean serum iron, serum ferritin and GPX levels were highly significantly decreased in IDA children, mean +/- SD were [33.90 +/- 5.87], [11.92 +/- 3-66], [223.7 +/- 37.0] [P<0.01] as compared to controls[79.40 +/- 7.83], [34.80 +/- 4.96]. [324.5 +/- 41.91] respectively but the mean TIBC level was highly significantly increased in IDA children [486.8 +/- 36.67] [P<0.01]as compared to controls [263.5 +/- 26.9]. The GPX levels were positively correlated with serum ferritin [r = 0.619], [P< 0.01] and platelets count [r=0.566] [p< 0.05]