ABSTRACT
The present work studied the role of serum transferrin receptors in the differentiation between iron deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic disorders based on the presence or absence of iron stores. The study included 40 children, in the age range of 5-15 years. They were divided into 3 groups: control group of 10 healthy children, iron deficiency group of 15 patients, and 15 patients with anemia of chronic disease. The following laboratory tests were done for both cases and controls: complete blood picture, serum iron, total iron binding capacity [TIBC], serum ferritin and serum transferrin receptors. Percent transferrin saturation and serum transferrin receptor-ferritin index [sTfR- F index] were calculated. Hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell [RBC] indices and serum iron behaved similarly in patients with iron deficiency anemia [IDA] and those with anemia of chronic diseases [ACD]. Total iron binding capacity was significantly increased in IDA and decreased in ACD. The percent transferrin saturation decreased in IDA patients to less than 16%, it was significantly higher in ACD than IDA patients. Serum ferritin was significantly higher in ACD than in IDA group. The serum transferrin receptor [sTfR] was found to be significantly higher in IDA than in patients with ACD. The serum transferrin receptor [sTfR] was the best discriminatory power of all parameters used in the study for distinguishing between IDA and ACD