Prevalence, risk factors, and ferritin testing to mitigate iron depletion in male plateletpheresis donors

Abstract

BACKGROUND Most single‐donor platelet (SDP) donors transition to plateletpheresis after prior red blood cell (RBC) donation. Recruitment may follow identification of a high platelet count, a marker associated with iron depletion (ID). SDP donors may have underrecognized risk for iron depletion. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS To assess the prevalence of ID, we performed ferritin testing on male plateletpheresis donors with hemoglobin levels less than 13.5 g/dL. Multivariable logistic regression identified risk factors for low ferritin (LF; ferritin ≤26 ng/mL) and absent iron stores (AIS; ferritin <12 ng/mL). To assess the impact of notifying donors of LF results, we compared donation behavior of “Test” subjects before and after sending an LF notification letter to that of “Control” subjects before and after increasing the minimum hemoglobin for male donors. An electronic survey to Test donors inquired about iron supplementation practices. RESULTS Prevalence of LF was 50% and AIS was 23%, with increase in risk associated with more frequent SDP donation, both controlling for RBC donation and in donors with no recent RBC donations. Donation frequency after intervention declined less in 1272 Test donors (19%, from 13.9 to 11.2 annualized donations) than in 878 Control donors (49%, from 12.3 to 6.3 donations). Only 20% of Test donors reported taking supplemental iron when they received the LF letter; 64% of those not taking iron initiated iron supplementation following the letter. CONCLUSIONS Donors were responsive to notification of LF and attendant messaging on iron supplementation. Ferritin testing potentially benefits donor health and a stable platelet supply.

Iron status of blood donors

“…Recent studies examined iron status relating to apheresis collection of platelets, plasma, or double red cells. A United States study of male plateletpheresis donors with low-normal hemoglobin found high prevalence of iron deficiency and a clear dose–response association with plateletpheresis donation count [25]. In contrast, a study of plasma donors found that iron deficiency was rare and not more common in high-frequency donors [26].…”