Value of Serum Soluble Transferrin Receptor in Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of serum soluble transferrin receptor(sTfR) in children with iron deficiency anemia(IDA).Methods Sixty-three children with microcytic hypochromic anemia were divided into IDA and non-IDA(n-IDA)groups,on which sTfR and other iron metabolism related indexes such as serum ferritin(SF) and serum iron(SI) were measured,and(t-test) between groups and analysis of ROC curve were carried out.Results The mean concentration of sTfR in the group of IDA was above normal value and t-test difference was extremely significant compared with n-IDA group(P0.001),while those of SF and SI in the group of IDA were within normal value;although specificity levels of SF and SI for IDA diagnosis were higher than sTfR,their sensitivity levels and areas under the curve of ROC were quite much lower.Conclusions Serum sTfR can reflect iron storage in body more accurately,and is an effective objective parameter for IDA diagnosis with significant value in differential diagnosis of children′s iron deficiency diseases.