Reticulocyte parameters: markers of early response to oral treatment in children with severe iron-deficiency anemia.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of exclusive oral iron supplementation (iron sulphate 2 mg/kg/die) in asymptomatic children with severe iron-deficiency anemia [median hemoglobin (Hb) level before treatment 6.3 g/dL; range 4.5 to 7 g/dL] and to investigate the accuracy of Hb, reticulocyte hemoglobin content (CHr), and absolute reticulocyte count (ARC) as markers for monitoring early response to treatment. The increase in ARC and CHr was statistically significant at day +3. There was a significant association between suitable logarithmic functions of the percentage increase in CHr and ARC at day +3 and the fraction of required Hb increase compared with baseline to reach the mean reference value for age and sex at day +14. If these results are confirmed in a larger population, ARC and CHr could be considered affordable and widely available markers to detect early responders to oral iron therapy, and to switch unresponsive children to parenteral iron supplementation or transfusion.