Serum lipid and lipoprotein profile in children with iron deficiency anemia

BACKGROUND: A close association has been found between serum lipoprotein abnormalities and the risk of atherosclerosis. In adults, high stored body iron, high serum iron concentrations and low iron binding capacity were found to be risk factors for coronary heart disease. Iron-deficient diets have caused contradictory lipid changes in rats. This report investigates the relationships between iron deficiency, macronutrient intake and the serum lipid and lipoprotein profiles in children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-six children with IDA, aged 3.0 +/- 1.3 years and 60 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were evaluated. The mean total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), lipoprotein (a) levels and LDL-C/high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and TC/HDL-C ratios of the IDA group were significantly lower than those of controls. While there were no differences in triglycerides and apolipoprotein B (apoB) values between patients and controls, apolipoprotein A-1 (apoA-1) and HDL-C levels were higher in the IDA group. Dietary energy, carbohydrates, total fat and protein intakes of the IDA group were lower than those of controls. After oral iron supplementation, the lipoprotein profile of patients with IDA became similar to controls. In the multivariate analysis, while energy was taken as a covariate, there was no difference in the lipid profile of patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IDA are also deficient in macronutrients. The low atherogenic serum lipid profile of IDA is not a direct result of iron deficiency itself, but related to decreased energy and protein intakes.