Pathogenetic Characteristics of Anemia in Patients with Solid Tumors

• Main Authors: VT Sakhin, ER Madzhanova, EV Kryukov, AV Sotnikov, AV Gordienko, OA Rukavitsyn
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Practical Medicine Publishing House 2017-10-01
• Series: Kliničeskaâ onkogematologiâ
• Subjects: cancer; anemia; iron metabolism; interleukin-6; interleukin-10
• Online Access: http://bloodjournal.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/11_1.pdf

Aim. To study the impact iron metabolism disturbances and cytokine levels on the development of anemia in patients with solid tumors. Materials & Methods. The research included 42 patients with malignant neoplasms, including 24 patients with anemia (19 men and 5 women, median age 67.7 ± 10 years) and 18 patients without anemia (15 men, 3 women, median age 65.7 ± 14 years). Anemia was diagnosed according to the WHO criteria (in men: erythrocytes < 4.0 × 1012/L, hemoglobin < 130 g/L, hematocrit < 39 %; in women: erythrocytes < 3.8 × 1012/L, hemoglobin < 120 g/L, hematocrit < 36 %). Results. A comparative analysis of iron metabolism in patients with and without anemia was performed. The lower values of serum iron and transferrin saturation in patients with anemia were shown (p < 0.05). The total iron-binding capacity, the levels of ferritin, transferrin, C-reactive protein, indirect bilirubin were similar between groups (p > 0,05). Higher levels of interleukins 6 and 10 (IL-6 and IL-10) were observed in patients with anemia (p < 0.05). For IL-6, correlations were observed with levels of erythrocytes (r = –0,58), hemoglobin (r = –0,57), hematocrit (r = –0,52), and leukocytes (r = 0,42). The levels of IL-10 slightly correlated with the levels of erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, MCV, and MCH (r < 0.3). For IL-10, correlations were established with levels of MCHC (r = –0,71), hemoglobin (r = –0,64) and hematocrit (r = –0,32). Correlations between the levels IL-6, IL-6 and hemoglobin, erythrocytes and several color indices may indicate their influence on the development of anemia in patients with malignant neoplasms. Conclusion. A functional iron deficiency in patients with anemia was found. Several causes of anemia development and significant role of interleukins in anemia pathogenesis were also discovered.