The relationship between inherited blood disorders and iron biomarkers among young children in Kenya

To determine if inherited blood disorders are independent predictors of iron biomarkers, we conducted a population‐based, cross‐sectional survey of 854 children aged 6–35 months in western Kenya. Participants were tested for sickle cell, alphathalassemia and G6PD deficiency. Ferritin, transferrin receptor (TfR), and zinc protoporphyrin (ZP) were measured. Inherited blood disorders were common; 19% had sickle cell, 48% had abnormal alpha‐thalassemia genotype, and 7% had G6PD deficiency. Mean unadjusted TfR was highest among children with HbSS genotype compared to HbAS and HbAA (ANOVA p<0.0001), and mean unadjusted ZP was higher among boys with normal genotype compared to those with G6PD deficiency (p=0.02). In multivariate analysis adjusting for sociodemographics, G6PD deficiency was an independent predictor of ZP among boys (beta‐coefficient = −0.17, p=0.04). There was interaction between sickle cell and malaria (p=0.01); malaria was a predictor of ZP among children without sickle cell, but not a predictor of ZP among those with sickle cell. In areas with high burden of inherited blood disorders, genotypic differences may independently affect iron biomarkers, particularly TfR and ZP. Grant Funding Source : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Wellcome Trust