Absolute Reticulocyte Count and Reticulocyte Hemoglobin Content as Predictors of Early Response to Exclusive Oral Iron in Children with Iron Deficiency Anemia

• Published in: Anemia
• Main Authors: Emilia Parodi, Maria Teresa Giraudo, Fulvio Ricceri, Maria Luigia Aurucci, Raffaela Mazzone, Ugo Ramenghi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7345835
• ISSN: 2090-1267; 2090-1275

We report data regarding kinetic of response to oral iron in 34 iron deficiency anemia children. Twenty-four/34 patients (70.5%) reached reference value of hemoglobin (Hb) concentration for age and sex at day + 30 from the beginning of treatment (complete early responders (CERs)), and 4/34 (12%) reached an Hb concentration at least 50% higher than the original (partial early responders (PERs)). CHr at T1 (within 7 days from the beginning of treatment) was significantly different in the different groups (22.95 in CERs versus 18.41 in other patients; p=0.001; 22.42 in early responders versus 18.07 in NERs; p=0.001). Relative increase of CHr from T0 to T1 resulted significantly higher in CERs than in other patients (0.21 versus 0.11, p=0.042) and in early responders than in NERs (0.22 versus 0.004, p=0.006). Multivariate logistic models revealed a higher probability of being a complete early responder due to relative increase of ARC from T0 to T1 [OR (95% CI) = 44.95 (1.54–1311.98)] and to CHr at T1 [OR (95% CI) =3.18 (1.24–8.17)]. Our preliminary data confirm CHr as early and accurate predictor of hematological response to oral iron.