Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by MAHU, J L
Right arrow Articles by SUQUET, J P
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by MAHU, J L
Right arrow Articles by SUQUET, J P
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1990 Oxford University Press

research-article

Usefulness of Red Cell Distribution Width in Association with Biological Parameters in an Epidemiological Parameters in an Epidemiological Survey of Iron Deficiency in Children

J L MAHU, C LECLERCQ and J P SUQUET

Unité de Recherches INSERM U-1. H{odot}pital Bichat 170 Boulevard Ney, 75877 Paris Cédex 18, France.

Mahu J L (Unité de Recherches INSERM U-1, Hopital Bichat, 170 Boulevard Ney, 75877 Paris Cédex 18, France), Leclercq C and Suquet J P. Usefulness of red cell distribution width in association with biological parameters in an epidemiological survey of iron deficiency in children. International Journal of Epidemiology 1990; 19: 646–654

The diagnostic usefulness of red cell distribution width (RDW) in association with usual biochemical and haematological parameters in detection of iron deficiency has been studied in a representative sample population of 384 children aged six months to six years in Reunion. Traditional parameters measured included serum ferritin (Fri), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), serum iron (SI), transferrin saturation (TSat), free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and haemoglobin concentration (Hb). RDW is an index of the variation in red cell size (anisocytosis). This recently derived parameter is measured by some models of electronic cell counter. It is not usually used in epidemiological investigations. Of the children studied, 13.6% had Hb<11 g/dl. The Pearson correlation coefficients between circulating iron parameters (SI, TSat, TIBC) or iron storage parameters (Fri) and RDW, MCV, MCH and FEP were greater than with Hb. The best correlations were observed for RDW, MCV and MCH with all other parameters. In this study, the upper limit value of RDW was defined as 18% using a Technicon model H-6000 counter. Other iron deficiency criteria were also defined and found to be in agreement with the international reference values for children aged six months to six years: MCV <70 fl, MCH <22 pg, MCHC <32%, FEP >35 µg/dl whole blood, SI <6 µmol/l, TIBC >85 µmol/l, TSat <10% and Fri > 12 µg/l. The combination of sensitivity and specificity was best for RDW and worst for MCHC. Use of RDW in association with habitual iron status parameters in screening surveys of iron deficiency would therefore be worthwhile.

Revised 1 October 1989


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 CLIN PEDIATRHome page
D. S. Hartfield, J. Tan, J. Y. Yager, R. J. Rosychuk, D. Spady, C. Haines, and W. R. Craig
The Association Between Iron Deficiency and Febrile Seizures in Childhood
Clinical Pediatrics, May 1, 2009; 48(4): 420 - 426.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 ChestHome page
B. J.B. Grant, D. P. Kudalkar, P. Muti, S. E. McCann, M. Trevisan, J. L. Freudenheim, and H. J. Schunemann
Relation Between Lung Function and RBC Distribution Width in a Population-Based Study
Chest, August 1, 2003; 124(2): 494 - 500.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.