Establishing the Normal Reference Range for Serum Ferritin, Percentage Transferrin Saturation and Soluble Transferrin Receptor Levels in Nigerian Population
Emmanuel. O. Sanni
*
Department of Hematology, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria.
Idayat. A. Durotoye
Department of Hematology, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Khadijat. O. Omokanye
Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, P.M.B. 1459, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Ayodeji. M. Adepoju
Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, P.M.B. 1459, Ilorin, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Iron markers are valuable in assessing iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia. Interpretations of iron parameters depend on values obtained from white populations despite variations in mean values of iron markers from region to region, race, age, gender, and disease states.
Objectives: This study aims to establish a normal reference range of Serum Ferritin, Percentage Transferrin saturation, and Soluble Transferrin Receptor Levels in the Nigerian population. It is focused on the notable gap in population-specific hematologic data.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving one hundred and twelve (112) healthy adult persons aged 18-70 years. Full blood count (FBC), and soluble Transferrin receptor assay were done. Percentage transferrin saturation (TSAT) was calculated from the assay of the serum iron and the total iron binding capacity (TIBC) using the colourimetric method. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 22.0. The level of statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05.
Results: The mean serum ferritin, TSAT and sTfR were 98.38±52.03ng/ml, 32.73±6.86%, and 17.68±6.11nmol/L respectively. The mean serum ferritin for males was 106.94±54.62 while that of females was 73.90±34.02ng/ml. There was no significant statistical difference in the mean TSAT and sTfR among males and females. The reference range of serum ferritin, TSAT, and sTfR among participants was 20.0-218.4ng/ml, 21.5-47.4% and 8.8-26.9nmol/L.
Conclusion: The mean serum ferritin values in male participants in our study were almost twice that of the female participants. Serum ferritin appears to be higher in blacks than in the white population. There is a wide variation in sTfR levels from one population to another. The findings in this study are important for improving the accuracy of iron deficiency diagnoses, for patient-specific clinical assessments in African diagnostic centres.
Keywords: Ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, TSAT, reference range, apparently healthy