Aim: To determine correlation of iron profile in children with different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) presenting to tertiary care hospital.

Methodology: A total of 81 children with chronic kidney disease stage having glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 90 (ml/min/m2) aged 1 – 14 years of either sex were included. Three ml serum sample was taken in vial by hospital duty doctor for serum ferritin level, serum iron, transferrin saturation and total iron binding capacity. The sample was sent to hospital laboratory for reporting. Iron profiling was done evaluating hemoglobin (g/dl), serum iron (ug/dl), serum ferritin (ng/ml), transferrin saturation (%) and total iron binding capacity (ug/dl) while iron load was defined as serum ferritin levels above 300 ng/ml. Correlation of iron profile with different stages of CKD was determined applying one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results: In a total 81 children, 46 (56.8%) were boys while overall mean age was 7.79±2.30 years. Mean duration on hemodialysis was 11.52 ± 9.97 months. Iron overload was observed in 26 (32.1%) children. Significant association of age above 7 years (p=0.031) and residential status as rural (p=0.017) was noted with iron overload whereas iron overload was increasing with increase in stages of CKD (p=0.002). Hemoglobin levels decreased significantly with increase in stages of CKD (p<0.001). Serum iron levels increased significantly with increase in the CKD stages (p=0.039). Serum ferritin levels were increasing significantly with the increase in CKD stages (p=0.031). Transferrin saturation also increased significant with increase in CKD stages (p=0.027).

Conclusion: High frequency of iron overload was noted in children with CKD on maintenance hemodialysis and there was linear relationship with stages of CKD and iron overload. Significant correlation of hemoglobin, serum iron, serum ferritin and transferrin saturation was observed with different stages of CKD.

Keywords: Iron overload, maintenance hemodialysis, ferritin level.