Effect of Sepsis on Iron Parameters in a Population with High Prevalence of Malnutrition and Iron Deficiency: A Cross-Sectional Case-Control Pilot Study.

There is lack of data on iron metabolism in critically ill sepsis children from population with high prevalence of iron deficiency (ID). The study was designed to study impact of sepsis on iron parameters in children with ID. Sepsis patients (age 6-59 months) and their apparently healthy sibling/cousin as controls were enrolled in this case-control pilot study. Serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, ferritin and sTfR were measured in the two groups. sTfR-Ferritin index was calculated. Patients (n = 134) were significantly underweight compared to controls (n = 54) (WAZ score < - 2; 58% vs. 28%; p < 0.001). Serum iron and sTfR (mg/L) were lower [71.5 (51.0, 115.0) vs. 87.0 (64.5, 130.5), p = 0.068; 3.1 (2.1, 4.5) vs. 3.5 (2.8, 4.8), p = 0.026 respectively] while serum ferritin was higher [229 (94, 484.5) vs. 22 (9.2, 51); p < 0.001] in patients compared to controls. sTfR-Ferritin index was lower in patients [1.3 (0.8, 2.3) vs. 2.5 (1.8, 4.5); p < 0.001]. ROC AUC (patients vs. controls) were 0.89 (95% CI 0.83-0.95) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.68-0.85) for ferritin and sTfR-ferritin index respectively. Survivors and non-survivors were similar in terms of iron parameters. Sepsis-induced alterations in iron parameters among ID children are complex. Qualitatively it is similar (with quantitative differences) to non-ID adult population. Lack of correlation of iron parameters with mortality may be due to ID-associated immune dysfunction. © Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion 2021.