Carbohydrate-deficient isoforms of transferrin (%CDT) and sialic acid (SA) in iron-deficiency anemia.

This study has investigated the serum levels of carbohydrate-deficient isoforms of transferrin (CDT) and sialic acid (SA) in iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). Blood samples were collected from 60 women with IDA and from 20 healthy controls. CDT was estimated by anion-exchange chromatography on minicolumns followed by photometric detection of transferrin and was expressed as a percentage of total transferrin (%CDT). SA was measured by an enzymatic method. There was no difference in the mean level of %CDT between patients with IDA (2.26%) and control patients (2.05%). SA increased significantly from control level 0.61 to 0.69 g/l in anemic patients. We concluded that elevated concentration of total transferrin in IDA did not change the relative value of low sialylated isoforms (%CDT) and the increase of total SA level in the sera of anemic patients is not related to the increase of total transferrin.