Renal anemia syndromes in iraqi hemodialysis patients according to iron status.

Anemia is common in patients on hemodialysis (HD). Adequate iron stores are essential for achieving the best hemoglobin level through maximum benefit from erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA). Decreased iron stores or decreased availability of iron are the most common reasons for resistance to the effect of these agents. Our objective was to categorize a group of Iraqi HD patients according to absolute or functional iron deficiency anemia (IDA); this study was conducted in the HD unit of the Baghdad Teaching Hospital from October 2012 to January 2013. Seventy prevalent adult HD Iraqi patients were enrolled. All patients were tested for full blood counts and iron parameters. They were categorized as nonanemic and those with absolute or functional iron deficiency. The patients were also tested for serum albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), parathyroid hormone, and serum hepcidin levels. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, and frequencies (number) and proportions (%). The mean age of the study group was 49.8 ± 12.3 years. Diabetes was the primary cause of end-stage renal disease, seen in 30 patients (42.8%). Majority of the HD patients were anemic, [51 (82.9%)] and among them, 39 (76.4%), had functional IDA. The mean serum iron, serum ferritin, and transferrin saturation were significantly higher in patients with functional IDA than those with absolute IDA (P <0.05). The mean highly sensitive CRP, parathormone and hepcidin values were also significantly higher in functional IDA patients than in those with absolute IDA and the nonanemic group (P <0.05). More than half of the study patients had functional IDA, and this can explain ESA hyporesponsiveness. This is besides the interplay of other factors including inflammation, inadequate dialysis, and secondary hyperparathyroidism. It is essential to diagnose functional IDA early, before the initiation of unnecessary iron therapy.