The Journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
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We studied the usefulness of serum ferritin for the assessment of iron deficiency (ID) or ID anaemia (IDA) of 186 lactating and 27 non-lactating Zairean women (15-45 years old). Haemoglobin (Hb), serum iron (SI), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation (TS) were also measured. Participants were recruited in rural Bas-Zaire State in the summers of 1986 and 1989. ⋯ ID defined by TS < 16% was present in 41% of lactating women and 21% of non-lactating women. In the presence as well as absence of inflammation, the use of TS identified a higher percentage of lactating women with either ID or IDA than did the use of serum ferritin. We conclude that, in the studied population, unless inflammation is taken into consideration, serum ferritin has a limited value in the diagnosis of ID.