Serum ferritin and transferrin receptor concentrations during the transition from adolescence to adulthood in a healthy Swedish population

Abstract

Aim:As part of a longitudinal nutrition study of adolescents, changes in serum ferritin (s‐Ft), serum transferrin receptors (s‐TfR) and the TfR/Ft ratio from 15 to 21 y of age were studied in randomly selected Swedish adolescents. Methods:Blood samples from 60 males and 66 females were drawn at 15, 17 and 21 y of age. Results:In males, median s‐Ft increased significantly from 33 (μg 1 −1 at 15 y to 96 (μg 1−1 at 21 y, and in females, after a non‐significant decrease at 17 y, from 27 at 15 y to 34 (μg 1 at 21 y. Between 15 and 17 y, s‐TfR increased significantly, in males from 5.9 to 7.7 p.g 1, and in females from 5.2 to 7.6 μg 1−1, whereas s‐TfR decreased significantly in both genders between 17 and 21 y. The log (TfR/Ft) ratio did not change in males between 15 and 17 y, but decreased significantly from 2.2 ± 0.3 to 1.8 ±0.3 by the age of 21 y. In females, the TfR/Ft ratio increased significantly between 15 and 17 y, whereas a significant decrease was found by the age of 21 y. S‐Ft <12 μg 1−1 at 15, 17 and 21 y was 3, 2 and 2% in males, and in females 18, 26 and 21%, respectively. Conclusion:This study shows an increase in s‐Ft and a decline in s‐TfR in males, indicating increased iron stores. In females, s‐Ft did not increase significantly, whereas s‐TfR and the TfR/ Ft ratio decreased between 17 and 21 y, indicating that cellular iron needs were met.

Dietary habits, nutrient intake and biomarkers for folate, vitamin D, iodine and iron status among women of childbearing age in Sweden

“…In a longitudinal study on Swedish adolescents (60 males and 66 females), carried out from 1993 to 1999, changes in iron status were measured from 15 to 21 years of age. In females, median serum ferritin increased significantly, after a non-significant decrease at 17 years, from 27 μg/L at 15 years to 34 μg/L at 21 years (18). In females, prevalence of iron deficiency, defined as serum ferritin <12 μg/L, was 18%, 26%, and 21% at 15, 17, and 21 years, respectively.…”

“…Thus, it was similar to the value for the 21-year-old women in the study by Samuelson et al. (18). Taken together, the results from these studies indicate that young women would benefit from a diet with a higher iron density and availability.…”

Effects of exercise on the markers of iron status in serum of cross-country skiers

“…Those low values were due to the fact that in the male group as many as 5 out of 8 subjects had ferritin levels below 25 µg/l, and in the female ones all subjects had relatively low ferritin (mean values from 8 consecutive days for individual subjects ranged from 8.5 to 32.7 µg/l, values below 20 µg/l being noted in two subjects only). The low ferritin values could have resulted from decreased iron stores in the pubertal period, especially in male skiers, as reported by Samuelson et al [24] for untrained subjects, as well as from the specificity of given sport. Also other authors [12,23] reported low ferritin in female endurance athletes.…”

Haematological changes and iron status in teenage girls with eating disorders and weight loss—the importance of menstrual status

“…In the girls who retained menstruations serum ferritin concentrations were considerably lower and almost 40% had depleted iron stores. This is more frequent than the commonly reported prevalence of 15–25% of teenage girls with serum ferritin concentrations below 16 μg/L (9,19–22). It would thus appear that in menstruating girls with weight loss the low serum ferritin concentrations reflect a poor iron intake combined with regular losses which in many cases results in a negative iron balance which depletes iron stores.…”