Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición (Sep 2005)
receptor soluble de tranferrina como indicador del estado de nutrición de hierro en preescolares venezolanos Soluble transferrin receptor like indicator of iron nutritional status in venezuelan preschoolers
Abstract
El receptor soluble de transferrina (RsTf) es una herramienta eficaz en el diagnóstico de deficiencia de hierro (DH) y a diferencia de la ferritina sérica (FS) y otros indicadores, no se afecta por la respuesta de fase aguda en los procesos inflamatorios. El propósito de este estudio fue utilizar el indicador RsTf en el diagnóstico de DH y estimar su utilidad en un estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal; de 190 preescolares de Valencia, Venezuela. Se midió el RsTf y la FS mediante enzimoinmunoensayo, hemoglobina (Hb) por método automatizado y parasitosis por examen de heces. Se consideró DH corporal a FS 2,3 mg/L, anemia a Hb Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) is an effective tool for iron deficiency (ID) diagnosis, and unlike serum ferritin (SF) and others indicators, is not affected by acute phase response during inflammatory processes. In order to diagnose ID using sTfR as iron status indicator and to estimate its utility, a cross sectional, descriptive study was performed in 190 preschoolers of Valencia, Venezuela. sTfR and SF were assessed by enzimoimmunoassay; hemoglobin (Hb) by automated method, and parasitic infestation by stool examination. ID was defined as SF 2.3 mg/L, and anemia as Hb <11.0 g/dL and <11.5 g/dL, according to age. Statistical analysis included descriptives, frequency distribution, chi2 and Spearman correlations. ID was highly prevalent as shown by serum ferritin (69.0%), sTfR (72.5%) and sTfR /FS ratio (81.9%). sTfR /FS ratio was more efficient in the ID diagnosis than any other indicator by itself. A high percentage of anemia was found (25.9%), from which, 79.5% was due to iron deficiency. No association to parasites was observed. It is concluded that sTfR is a useful tool for the diagnosis of iron deficiency and that a high nutritional risk for iron nutritional status. Low intake of high bio-available iron and poor socioeconomic conditions are important factors in this problem.
