Work

Assessment of Urinary Ferritin as a Non-Invasive Diagnostic Test for Iron Deficiency Anemia in Pediatric Populations: A Case-Control Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background & Objective: Iron deficiency anemia is the most prevalent form of anemia worldwide and can cause complications in children and adolescents. This study investigates the correlation between serum and urinary ferritin and evaluates the feasibility of using urinary ferritin to diagnose iron deficiency. Methods: In this case-control study, 45 patients with iron deficiency anemia were included in the case group and 45 healthy children in the control group. From each participant, 1.5 mL blood and 5 mL of urine were collected, and serum and urinary ferritin levels were measured using the chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) method with Mindray kits. The results were analyzed and compared using SPSS software, version 16 (IBM Corp). Results: The mean age of patients was 7.95 years, and that of controls was 7.26 years. Female patients constituted 62.2% of the case group, and female controls represented 46.7% of the control group. In patients, the mean serum ferritin level was 13.39 ng/mL (SD = 6.37), and the mean urinary ferritin level was 3.50 ng/mL (SD = 2.65). In controls, the mean serum ferritin level was 63.7 ng/mL (SD = 41.8), and the mean urinary ferritin level was 3.98 ng/mL (SD = 2.89). Urinary ferritin demonstrated lower diagnostic accuracy for iron deficiency anemia compared with serum ferritin. The Spearman correlation coefficient between serum and urinary ferritin was 0.155, indicating a weak positive correlation. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate an insignificant relationship between urine and serum ferritin levels. These findings indicate that urinary ferritin is not a reliable non-invasive alternative for diagnosing iron deficiency.

Source: Iranian journal of pathology

DOI: 10.30699/ijp.2025.2049356.3395

Authors: Hossein Esfahani, Arya Derakhshesh, Ali Reza Soltanian, Hassan Bazmamoun, Alireza Rastgoo Haghi

Institution: Hamedan University of Medical Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Iron Metabolism and Disorders

Subfield: Hematology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $182