Relationship between iron deficiency and microcytic anaemia factor in deferred blood donors

Vargas A.; Vega J.; Cornejo R.; Lezama C.; Paredes R.; Aro P. · Anales de la Facultad de Medicina (2024) · DOI: 10.15381/anales.v85i2.27354

Resumen

Introduction. Beckman-Coulter hematology analyzers have used the microcytic anemia factor (Maf®) as a simple and inexpensive screening tool for the early detection of iron deficiency. Objective: To determine the relationship between iron deficiency and Maf® and evaluate the diagnostic performance in the detection of iron deficiency in deferred applicants for blood donation. Methods. Cross-sectional study. We reviewed 159 clinical histories of postulants to donate blood deferred for having hemoglobin values lower than 12.5 g/dL (women) and lower than 13.5 g/dL (men) who attended the Hemotherapy and Blood Bank Service of the Cayetano Heredia Hospital in Lima, Peru. Iron deficiency was defined with ferritin values ≤ 30 ng/mL. Maf® was calculated with data obtained from the blood count using the formula Maf® = [(Hemoglobin x Mean Corpuscular Volume) /100)]. The Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) with the area under the curve (AUC) was used to predict iron deficiency. Results: 45.5% of female presented iron deficiency. A statistically significant relationship was found between ID and Maf® (p<0.001). The ROC analysis for Maf® and the diagnosis of DH showed an AUC of 0.917 with a cut-off point of 8.97 (sensitivity 90% and specificity 81.2%). Conclusions: A significant association was found between iron deficiency and Maf®. In addition, this parameter has a good performance to discriminate iron deficiency in deferred applicants to donate blood.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia