Erythrocyte indexes, iron metabolism, and hyperhomocysteinemia in adults with cyanotic congenital cardiac disease

Harald Kaemmerer, Sohrab Fratz, Siegfried L. Braun, Klaus Koelling, Andreas Eicken, Silke Brodherr-Heberlein, Klaus Pietrzik, John Hess

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

60 Scopus citations

Abstract

A high percentage of cyanotic adults (37%) with cyanotic congenital cardiac disease (CCD) presented with depleted iron stores (13 of 52) or latent iron deficiency (6 of 52), even in a CCD center in which cyanotic patient phlebotomy is mostly avoided. In many of these patients, hypochromia and microcytosis was frequent, whereas hyperchromia and macrocytosis were relatively common.Furthermore, 50% of patients presented with hyperhomocysteinemia, possibly related to folate or B vitamin deficiencies, which may increase red blood cell size and color, explaining the lack of microcytosis and hypochromia in many cyanotic patients with iron deficiency.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)825-828
Number of pages4
JournalAmerican Journal of Cardiology
Volume94
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Sep 2004
Externally publishedYes

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