02389nas a2200409   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653002200089653002500111653002400136653001500160653002800175653001900203653001100222653002200233653001100255653000900266653001200275653002500287653000900312653001600321100001700337700001500354700001500369700001700384700001500401700001200416700001700428245010800445300001000553490000800563520139400571022001401965       1992                            d  c1992 Sep10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aAged, 80 and over10aAnalysis of Variance10aAnemia, Hypochromic10aBiomarkers10aChi-Square Distribution10aErythropoietin10aFemale10aHematologic Tests10aHumans10aIron10aleprosy10aLeprosy, lepromatous10aMale10aMiddle Aged1 aLapinsky S E1 aBaynes R D1 aSchulz E J1 aMacPhail A P1 aMendelow B1 aLewis D1 aBothwell T H00aAnaemia, iron-related measurements and erythropoietin levels in untreated patients with active leprosy.  a273-80 v2323 a<p>The mechanisms responsible for anaemia in leprosy were studied prior to the institution of therapy in 56 patients with active disease. Haematological indices, iron-related measurements, inflammatory markers and erythropoietin levels were assessed, with bone-marrow studies being performed on anaemic patients. Anaemia was more common in the patients with lepromatous leprosy (85.7%) than it was in the rest of the group (19%). The lepromatous group exhibited the disordered iron transport of the anaemia of chronic disorders in that they had a significantly lower mean serum iron level (P less than 0.05), and a mildly raised serum ferritin concentration. Anaemic lepromatous patients also showed a blunted erythropoietin response compared with controls with non-inflammatory anaemia. A subgroup of five anaemic subjects displayed apparently adequate transport of iron to the erythroid marrow (normal percentage transferrin saturations and appropriate sideroblast counts) and the blunted erythropoietin response appeared to be the dominant factor in the pathogenesis of their anaemia. Analysis of inflammatory markers revealed that while the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was very high in the lepromatous subjects, there was no concomitant rise in C-reactive protein concentration. This suggests the presence of a disordered cytokine-mediated acute phase response in the condition.</p>  a0954-6820