Iron Deficiency Anaemia and Thyroid Dysfunction by RIA, MAHMOUD K. ZAATER
Abstract
Anaemia is common disease in Egyptians among adolescents of both sex as, it presents by vague symptoms. Iron deficiency occurs when the body’s iron stores become depleted and a restricted supply of iron to various tissues become apparent and it results in depletion of iron-dependent intracellular enzymes participating in many metabolic pathways. Diagnosis of anaemia (haemoglobin level, <11g/dl), defined by a hae-matocrit of less than 33% and iron deficiency (transferrin saturation, <10%). An elevated red-cell distribution width appears to be the earliest haematologic manifestation of iron deficiency. 19 patients with microcytic hypochromic anaemia with no obvious cause for continuing blood loss and failure of standard treatment were included in the study. Patients who did not responded to treatment (by oral iron tablets, vitamin C 500mg table/day, folic acid 5mg tablet/day & vitamin B12 1000mcg im/week) by increase haemoglobin level by 1 g after period of treatment (two month) were selected to participate in this study, patient receive eltroxine 50mcg orally/day, plus the previous treatment for 6 month period. HB% increased from 9.87±1.04 to 13.33±0.6 (p-value is <0.0001 extremely significant), RDW was decreased from 17.93±0.91 to 14.45±0.85 (p-value is <0.0001 extremely significant), haematocrit was increased from 33.98±4.4 to 41.11±2.43 (p-value is <0.0001 extremely significant), and serum iron was increased from 32.91±11.4 to 82.12±12.3 (p-value is <0.0001 extremely significant). Haemoglobin-electrophoresis for all patients were normal. TSH was de-creased from 3.01±0.24 to 1.18±0.09 (p-value is <0.0001 extremely significant), free T4 change from 1.87±0.78 to 2.0±0.61, and free T3 from 1.5±4.05 to 2.53±0.533. No signs or symptoms of hyperthyroidism were detected in our patients in this study.