Serum carnitine levels in children with iron deficiency anemia

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to evaluate the carnitine serum levels as co-morbidity in apparently healthy children with iron deficiency anemia. Fifty four apparently healthy well nourished children [29 boys and 25 girls], their ages ranged from 9 months to 12 months with iron deficiency anemia were enrolled in the study. Twenty five healthy non anemic children with matched age and sex included as a control group. Malnourished children with iron deficiency anemia were excluded from the study. For all anemic children with suspected iron deficiency anemia as well as control group, we performed complete blood count [CBC] including measuring of hemoglobin [Hb] level, hematocrit% [Hct], mean corpuscular volume [MCV], mean corpuscular hemoglobin [MCH], mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration [MCHC]; serum ferritin, serum iron [SI], and total iron binding capacity[TIBC]. Serum total carnitine levels were measured by spectrophotometric method. Hb, MCV, MCH, serum ferritin and serum iron were significantly lower in patients with iron deficiency anemia than in control non anemic group [p < 0.001]. Serum carnitine levels were significantly lower in children with iron deficiency anemia than in healthy control group [p<0.001]. There was a significant positive correlation between hemoglobin and serum carnitine [r=0.84; p<0.001]. Also, we found a significant positive correlation between serum iron, serum ferritin and serum carnitine [r=0.91; p<0.001 and r = 0.9; P<0.001, respectively]. In conclusion, iron is required for biosynthesis of carnitine. Low serum carnitine levels in these children may be due to iron deficiency. Therefore, iron fortification of the diets of children seems to be essential not only to prevent iron deficiency anemia but also to avoid other possible effects of iron deficiency in the growing children, such as secondary carnitine deficiency. However, additional studies are still needed to ascertain the frequency of carnitine deficiency and the need for carnitine supplementation in children with iron deficiency anemia