The effect of changing living standards on iron status in pregnancy in Calabar urban.

Reduced meat intake is often associated with iron deficiency anaemia. Reduced meat intake that arose from the frugality associated with a prolonged period of national economic reorientation policy, known as the "structural adjustment programme" (SAP), may have placed iron-stress on pregnancy in particular. Iron status of pre-SAP and SAP pregnancies were established from measurement of the haematological values of subjects. Indices such as haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume, serum Fe were lower in pregnancy especially during SAP. However, SAP pregnancy serum ferritin did not respond significantly to iron depletion. Unlike PCV, Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) and serum transferrin values showed a reverse behaviour. The level of these values, however, portends a toll exerted on body iron status in pregnancy associated with reduced haem iron intake. The changes in these values did not, however, lead to any over symptoms of iron deficiency probably because increased sea food (molluscs) consumption ameliorates the iron-toll from low absorbed non-haem iron. For lower income rural women in non-coastal areas, the absence of seafood in their diets exacerbates the low iron status in Pregnancy.

Abnormalities in adenosine triphosphatase of the erythrocyte membrane in iron deficiency anaemia.

During iron deficiency rat and human erythrocyte membrane enzyme activities (Total ATPase and Ouabainsensitive Na+.K+ ATPase) showed significant (P < 0.001) decrease. The influence of iron deficiency on erythrocyte Na+ and K+ was also studied in rats and humans. The former parameter showed a significant (P < 0.01) increase while the latter showed a downward trend. Plasma Fe and Total Iron Binding capacity (TIBC) in iron deficiency varied significantly (P < 0.05) from normal values. These results suggest a defect in erythrocyte membrane function and a possible potentiating effect of intracellular Na+, plasma Fe and TIBC on ATPase activity in iron deficiency. Values obtained for rats and humans showed differences in the activities of membrane ATPase in iron deficiency anaemia.

Electrolytes (Na+ and K+) translocation in erythrocytes during iron deficiency in rats and humans.

During iron deficiency a significant (p less than 0.01) increase in erythrocyte Na+ in vivo was observed in both rats and humans. Erythrocyte K+ was down, but the effect was only significant (p less than 0.05) in rats, under this condition. However, erythrocyte Na+/K+ ratio was significantly (p less than 0.001) higher in iron deficiency when compared to normal values in both rats and humans. Although there was no significant (p greater than 0.05) correlation between Haemoglobin (Hb), Packed cell volume (PCV), Plasma Fe, and Total Iron Binding capacity (TIBC), and erythrocyte Na+ or K+ levels during iron deficiency, analysis of variance showed that Hb, PCV, Plasma Fe and TIBC in concert significantly (p less than 0.05) affected erythrocyte Na+ in iron-deficient rats and humans, whereas K+ was significantly (p less than 0.05) affected only in rats. These studies suggest a defect in erythrocyte membrane function during iron deficiency and imply a concerted potentiating effect of Hb, PCV, Plasma Fe and TIBC on erythrocyte membrane malfunction during iron deficiency. Species difference is also demonstrated in erythrocyte (Na+ and K+) translocation in iron deficiency.