Low Hb with high Ferritin level

[Waqasamjad]

My 2 year old daughter's Hb level dropped as low as 6 with ferritin level 290. After blood transfusion hb level reached 12 but now after 2 months hb level is again down to 8.8 with ferritin level 480. We have carried out her T4 TSH, vit B 12, blood electrolysis, ALT, folic acid tests and all the levels are within normal range. Can someone please help us what else we should do in order to get a diagnosis of her disease

[Mary-intussuception]

This must be very worrying for you. What are the doctors saying?

Have they made a diagnosis?

[humanbean]

When reading this, please bear in mind that I'm not medically trained.

Your daughter appears to have Anaemia of Chronic Disease (also called Anaemia of Chronic Inflammation).

Some of the bacteria, parasites, infections, and cancers that people can get need iron to reproduce. The body prevents this as much as possible, and protects itself by putting as much iron as possible into ferritin (where the bugs can't get at it), and reduces the iron available to the body to the absolute minimum. As a result ferritin gets very high and haemoglobin reduces to low levels.

I think you need a doctor who will take your daughter's problems very seriously indeed. They need to do lots of detective work to find out what is going on, and they need to do it as a matter of urgency.

Some links on the subject :

irondisorders.org/anemia-of...

patient.info/doctor/anaemia...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemi...

A quote that might help :

"To successfully sustain an infection, nearly all bacteria, fungi and protozoa require a continuous supply of host iron." "Mechanisms of microbial iron acquisition are determinants for the kinds of cells, tissues and hosts in which pathogens can flourish." And with respect to human and other "hosts," "As a corollary, hosts possess an array of iron withholding devices whereby they can suppress or abort microbial invasions." "Awareness of environmental and behavioral methods that can prevent iron loading plus development of pharmaceutical agents that can block microbial access to iron may help to reduce our dependence on antibiotics."

Source : healtheiron.com/iron-infection

As well as googling for Anaemia of Chronic Disease (or Chronic Inflammation) you should also search for Iron Withholding Defense System.

I just wanted to repeat - I'm not medically trained. So I don't know the correct kind of doctor for you to see, sorry.

[Heloise in reply to humanbean]

That was extremely interesting, HB, and again the human body is so intelligent. I had never heard of that.

[humanbean in reply to Heloise]

According to what I've read the Iron Withholding Defense System was only identified in the 1980s.

I agree - the human body does some very clever stuff.

[Waqasamjad in reply to humanbean]

Thank you so much for the detailed reply. We consulted the general practitioners and they couldnt figure out the root cause. Lately i came across this article of ACD and this has worried me alot. Only positive aspect about her health is that she is very active, her diet is good and has no physical symptoms what soever. Now after you figuring out the same thing i think we need to move in right direction.

Can you please elaborate what are the possible risks associated with ACD and complexity and their cure.

[humanbean in reply to Waqasamjad]

Sorry, as I said I'm not medically trained, and I've given you everything I can think of on the subject already.

I hope you can find a doctor who is willing to put the effort in to find out what is going on with your daughter.

[Waqasamjad]

After a lengthy detective work including bone marrow biopsy, doctors have now declared it sideroblastic anaemia. However, they have yet to do few more tests to rule out Didmoad or Rogers syndrome