Lipid Peroxidation in Iron Deficiency Anemia / Reply

Prof, Șinasi Özsoylu, MD, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Hacettepe Children’s Hospital. TR-06100 Ankara (Turkey) I have read with interest the paper by Bartal et al. [1] in a recent issue of the Journal. The authors stated that ‘lipid peroxidation was much higher in iron-deficient cells than in control cells’. However, the malonyl-dialdehyde (MDA) levels were given as na-nomoles per gram hemoglobin (Hb). In iron deficiency anemia, more cells are required for 1 g Hb than in normal cells. MDA is not related to Hb but to the cell membrane. Therefore, MDA levels should be expressed per red blood cell rather than per gram Hb. When I determined catalase activity in iron deficiency anemia [2], which was the first demonstration of an iron-containing enzyme deficiency, it could be shown when expressed per red cell but not with Hb level, as later stated by Acharya et al. [3]. It is surprising to see that some studies are not appreciated in the literature despite priority and several reinforcements [2, 4, 5]. References Bartal M, Mazor D, Dvilansky A, Meyerstein N: Iron deficiency anemia: Recovery from in vitro oxidative stress. Acta Haematol I993;90: 94-98. Özsoylu §: Decreased activity of iron-containing enzyme catalase in human iron deficiency anemia. Turk J Pediatr 1964;6:200-210. Acharya J, Punchard NA, Taylor JA, Thompson RPH, Pearson TC: Red cell lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in iron deficiency. Eur J Haematol 1991;47:287-291. Özsoylu §: Detection of iron containing enzyme deficiency anemia. J Pediatr 1973;82:168. Özsoylu §: Note to the paper. Acta Haematol 1986:76:181.