[The comparison of diagnostic usefulness of transferrin determination by immunological and chemical method in iron deficiency anemia].

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of two methods of transferrin determination in iron-deficiency anemia (IDA): immunological and chemical based on the total iron-binding capacity (TIBC).

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The examination was carried out in 60 women with IDA and 20 healthy controls. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin concentration less than 120 g/l, ferritin level below 30 microg/l and clinical date.

RESULTS

In female IDA the transferrin level measured by immunological method was significantly higher than that evaluated by chemical procedure. In control subjects the results were not significantly different. The serum transferrin concentration measured by these two methods correlated positively each other. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, positive and negative predictive values were higher for immunological methods. The diagnostic accuracy of immunological methods (area under the curve - AUC) did not differ in comparison to the chemical methods when calculated from empirical coefficient (value 22.3).

CONCLUSION

Calculation at the theoretical coefficient (value 25.0), the diagnostic accuracy of immunological method was higher than that of chemical. The good points of immunological methods of transferrin determination (direct, simplicity, higher precision, un-dependent on iron binding, higher sensitivity) should be taken into account for the introduction of this method for routine laboratory diagnostics instead of chemical methods based on total iron-binding capacity.