Iron Status of Multiple Transfused Sickle Cell Anaemia Patients Attending a Sickle Cell Clinic in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was aimed at evaluating the iron status of multiple blood transfused sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients in Benin City, Nigeria. A total of 86 subjects participated in the study, comprising of 30 multiple transfused SCA subjects, 30 of rarely transfused SCA subjects and 26 of age and sex matched healthy control subjects. Serum ferritin was determined by enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay technique. Serum iron and Total iron binding capacity was determined by spectrophometric method. The mean serum ferritin concentration was elevated in the sickle cell anaemia patients whose multiple transfusions (MT) are more than those who were rarely transfused (RT) as compared with the control groups (p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the serum ferritin and the number of units of blood transfused (r = 0.719, p = 0.000). This study revealed that a high level of serum ferritin, percentage transferrin saturation and a reduction in total iron binding capacity were observed in sickle cell anaemia patients who received ≥3 units of packed cells in one year.