Carbohydrate‐deficient isoforms of transferrin (%CDT) and sialic acid (SA) in iron‐deficiency anemia

This study has investigated the serum levels of carbohydrate‐deficient isoforms of transferrin (CDT) and sialic acid (SA) in iron‐deficiency anemia (IDA). Blood samples were collected from 60 women with IDA and from 20 healthy controls. CDT was estimated by anion‐exchange chromatography on minicolumns followed by photometric detection of transferrin and was expressed as a percentage of total transferrin (%CDT). SA was measured by an enzymatic method. There was no difference in the mean level of %CDT between patients with IDA (2.26%) and control patients (2.05%). SA increased significantly from control level 0.61 to 0.69 g/l in anemic patients. We concluded that elevated concentration of total transferrin in IDA did not change the relative value of low sialylated isoforms (%CDT) and the increase of total SA level in the sera of anemic patients is not related to the increase of total transferrin.