Iron studies in pregnant and non-pregnant women with haemoglobin SS or SC disease.

Iron studies were performed in 22 pregnant and 18 non-pregnant women with haemoglobinopathies. Mean packed cell volume and mean haemoglobin concentration were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in haemoglobin SS patients than in haemoglobin SC patients, in both the pregnant and non-pregnant groups. Transferrin saturation was significantly lower in pregnant patients (haemoglobin SS and SC) than in the non-pregnant group (p < 0.001). Serum ferritin values in the haemoglobin SS and SC pregnant patients were not significantly different (p > 0.05). There was a strong correlation between serum ferritin levels and transferrin saturation in the pregnant group (r = 0.71; p < 0.001). Fourteen of the 22 pregnant women (63 per cent) and 9 of the 18 non-pregnant women (50 per cent) had scanty or no iron in the bone marrow; the serum ferritin levels increased progressively with greater amount of haemosiderin in the bone marrow. There was evidence of iron deficiency in both the pregnant and non-pregnant women with haemoglobinopathies and this suggests the need for further study on the routine administration of iron in the management of patients with sickle cell disease.