Diagnostic value of serum transferrin receptor and glycosylated hemoglobin on hemolytic anemia

Soluble serum transferritin receptor (sTfR) is a new diagnostic tool for iron depletion and erythropoiesis. Glycosylated hemoglobin (GHb) can be used to detect hemolysis. The present study was thus conducted to compare the diagnostic value of sTfR and GHb (measured as Hb A₁c) in patients with hemolytic anemia. Four groups of subjects entered into our study. Group A included 13 patients with hemolytic anemia with effective erythropoiesis (EE). Group B included 13 patients with hemolytic anemia with ineffective erythropoiesis (IE). Group C included 15 healthy controls and group D summated groups A and B. sTfR, serum ferritin, plasma hemoglobin, complete blood count, reticulocyte, haptoglobin, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), Hb A₁c, liver and renal function, direct and indirect bilirubin, and fasting blood sugar were measured. Plasma Hb, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), platelet, haptoglobin, LDH, indirect bilirubin, Hb A₁c, and sTfR were found to be significantly different between the controls and the hemolytics, either with effective or ineffective erythropoiesis. Reticulocyte count was significantly different only between the two hemolytic groups. Hb A₁c and sTfR were both good for the diagnosis of hemolysis. Reticulocyte count was a good tool for distinguishing EE from IE.