Effect of Dialysis on Iron Profile and Haematological Parameters in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Retrospective Observational Study

Introduction: Iron is an essential mineral to trigger erythropoiesis in response to Erythropoietin (EPO) from kidneys. In Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), dialysis is a treatment option when the kidneys fail to filter out the toxins from blood which may cause absolute or relative iron deficiency causing anaemia. Aim: To elucidate significance of iron profile in dialysis cases for management of anaemia post-dialysis in male and female patients with CKD. Materials and Methods: The present retrospective observational study was conducted from September 2023 to November 2023 at Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College and Hospital, Kolar, Karnataka, India. A total of 84 subjects including male and female patients undergoing dialysis with or without diabetes mellitus, CKD cases and Haemodialysis cases were included in the study. Latest and recent values of iron profile and Complete Blood Count (CBC) parameters of patients were collected from biochemistry and haematology sections for the study, the statistical analysis was performed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 (IBM). Results: The Transferrin Saturation (TSAT) was comparable between males (median 22.74%, IQR: 15.34-31%) and females (median 24.3%, IQR: 15.7-30.4%) (p=0.47). Nondiabetic patients showed higher TSAT (median 22.74%, IQR: 15-32%) compared to diabetics (median 24.3%, IQR: 15.7- 30.4%). The Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity (UIBC) was 160.1±60.2 μg/dL in males and 164.6±38.61 μg/dL in females (p=0.73), being higher in non-diabetics (165±515.43 μg/dL) than diabetics (156.4±58.3 μg/dL) (p=0.5), demonstrating the inverse relationship with serum iron as per iron physiology. Conclusion: Iron profile assessment including calculated parameters (TSAT and UIBC) is essential for precision management of anaemia in dialysis patients. There was no significant gender-based difference but there was notable variation between diabetic and non-diabetic CKD cases.