Cell-mediated immunity in children with iron-deficiency anaemia

Nineteen children with iron deficiency, free from factors likely to affect cell mediated immunity (CMI) except four marasmic children and ten age and sexmatched normal controls were studied for their lymphocytic response to PHA stimulation. Lymphoblastoid transformation of patients and controls was comparable. However, four marasmic subjects had lymphoblastoid transformation rates significantly lower to controls. It was, thus,concluded that iron deficiency per se does not affect cellular immunity but concomitant severe malnutrition may be responsible for a depressed response.