RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA AND THYROID HORMONES STATUS IN CHILDREN OF NORTH INDIA

SHARMA S.¹, SINGH R.², GUPTA R.³, DABLA P.K.^4
1Department of Biochemistry, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya Hospital, Associated to Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi-110 031, India.
²Department of Pediatrics, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya Hospital, Associated to Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi-110 031, India.
³Department of Pathology, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya Hospital, Associated to Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi-110 031, India.
⁴Department of Biochemistry, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya Hospital, Associated to Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi-110 031, India.

Received : 07-11-2013     Accepted : 03-12-2013     Published : 23-12-2013
Volume : 2     Issue : 1       Pages : 39 - 41
World Res J Biochem 2.1 (2013):39-41

Background and Objectives: Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and hypothyroidism are commonly observed micronutrient deficiencies occurring in developing countries. Studies in adults and animals indicate a relationship among the two. However, limited numbers of studies are available in children in our country. The present study was therefore planned to assess the changes in thyroid hormone metabolism in children with IDA. Material and Methods: The present case-control study was performed in the Department of Biochemistry, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya Hospital, New Delhi during September 2012 till August 2013. We studied 70 children with IDA as cases and 70 children with no history of IDA in age group of 1-12 years as controls. Complete blood count, ferritin, iron, TIBC, % transferrin saturation, FT3, FT4, TSH were determined in all children included in the study. Results: The mean (±SD) age of cases and controls were 6.6 ± 3.25 years and 7.20 ± 3.70 years. Male female ratio was 1.05:1 in all study subjects. FT3 and FT4 levels were significantly lowered in patients with iron deficiency anaemia (p < 0.0001, p< 0.05) whereas TSH was significantly elevated (p< 0.05). We found a significant positive correlation between FT3 and ferritin (p<0.01), FT4 and Hb (p<0.05), FT4 and ferritin (p<0.0001) and FT4 and % transferrin saturation (p<0.01) in patients with iron deficiency anaemia. Conclusion: Our study showed a significant difference in thyroid hormone status between children with iron deficiency anaemia and controls. Iron deficiency may therefore impair metabolism of thyroid hormones.