Features of Laboratory Indicators of Iron Metabolism at Patients With Co-Infection: Tuberculosis and Hepatitis C

The aim of the research was to study the metabolism of iron at patients with co-infection: tuberculosis of the respiratory organs and chronic hepatitis C. Simple randomized research. The main group consists of patients suffering with chronic viral hepatitis C and respiratory tuberculosis (n=71). The control group consists of patients with respiratory tuberculosis (n=128). The main indicators of hemogram, iron metabolism and acute phase proteins were defined. Indicators in the groups were assessed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. Among the patients in the control group, anemia was detected at 25% of the patients. In the experimental group this rate amounted to 26.7%. In the main group, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean volume of erythrocytes, higher values of ferritin, serum iron, and value of saturation of transferrin with iron in per cents. In the case of chronic forms of tuberculosis in the control group, the concentration of hemoglobin decreased, reticulocytosis appeared, serum iron concentration and percentage of saturation of transferrin by iron decreased. In the experimental group, these indicators remained at a high level. The differences in the groups were statistically significant. At patients suffering with chronic v iral hepatitis C and respiratory tuberculosis, a more frequent progression of anemia in chronic form of the disease was detected, followed by a tendency to overload the tissues with iron. At the same time, among patients with chronic forms of tuberculosis and hepatitis, much less cases of anemia appear.