Relationships Between Serum Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase, Biochemical and Hematological Parameters in Children with Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most widespread type of anemia in children. The objective of the study was to assess levels of serum superoxide dismutase (SODse), catalase (CATse), biochemical, and some hematological parameters in children with IDA and healthy controls, and to find relationships between them.
Fifty-five patients with IDA and 35 healthy controls with age ranges of 6 months to less than 6 years were enrolled. Diagnosis of IDA was made based on the low hemoglobin (Hb) and Sf as per age. As the Hb level is <11 g/dl and the Sf level is <12 μg/L in children <5 years old, the Hb level is <11.5 g/dl and the Sf level is <15 μg/L in children aged 5 to <6 years.
The mean age of participants was 3.132±1.67. IDA patients had significantly decreased levels of Hb (p<0.0001), hematocrit (Hct) (p<0.0001), Sf (p<0.0001), Si (p<0.0001), and SODse (p<0.0275), and non-significantly decreased levels of mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (p=0.1721) and CATse (p=0.1620) compared to healthy controls. IDA patients showed significantly higher levels of red cell distribution width (RDW) (p<0.0001) than healthy controls. Parameters were comparable among mild and moderate degrees of IDA; only significantly decreased levels of Sf were detected in children under the age of <5 years. Significantly positive correlations were observed between Hb and Hct (r=0.8149, p<0.0001). In addition, non-significant positive correlations were found between Hb, Hct, Sf, Si, SODse, and CATse. Significantly negative correlations were observed between RDW and Hb (r=-0.5522, p<0.0001), Hct (r=-0.4456, p<0.0007), and SODse (r=-0.2874, p<0.0334), while non-significant negative correlations were found between RDW and Sf, Si as well as CATse.
The study findings show changes in levels of studied parameters between the IDA and healthy control groups. They also confirm the relationship between the different values of the parameters.