Ischemia Modified Albumin Level in Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia

Background: Anaemia happens when the blood's level of red blood cells (RBCs) and/or haemoglobin are lower than normal for age and sex. The most prevalent type of anaemia is iron deficiency anemia (IDA. This study aims to measure the level of ischemia modified albumin (IMA) in patients with IDA both prior to and following iron supplementation therapy and to spotlight on its correlation with severity of anemia and to assess clinical outcomes after iron therapy with respect to oxidative stress.

Methods: This study was carried out on 30 iron deficiency anaemia patients and 20 healthy controls with matched age and sex. Three groups were formed out from the patients, Group I: Twenty healthy subjects as a control with no history of IDA, group II: Thirty patients IDA before iron treatment and group III: The same thirty patients with IDA, but after oral iron treatment (100 mg ferrous glisin sulfate twice daily for two months). All patients were subjected to routine laboratory investigation [Hb, Htc, MCV, Fe, TIBC, ferritin, transferrin saturation, reticulocytic count and albumin], and specific laboratory investigation (ischemia modified albumin).

Results: In group II, there was positive significant correlation between MCV and IMAR, there was positive significant correlation between IMA level and MCV, while there was negative significant correlation between Hb, haematocrit, albumin, and IMA. In group III, there was negative significant correlation between albumin and IMAR, there was negative significant correlation between Hb, Htc, albumin, and IMA.

Conclusions: Anemia causes a rise in IMA, and this increase may be related to hypoxia. And we found that the IMA levels could be demonstrative of the severity of anemia. Its level was elevated after iron therapy (100 mg ferrous glisin sulphate twice daily for two months) attributed to oxidative stress associated with iron therapy, which might alter the structure of albumin and raise IMA values.