Effect of iron deficiency anemia on blood levels of interleukin 6 and infection rates in children: a pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. Iron activates the growth and differentiation of immune cells and cytokine actions. Interleukin 6 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that stimulates the differentiation of B lymphocytes into plasma cells and activates T lymphocytes. Our study aimed to evaluate the correlation between blood levels of iron and interleukin 6 (IL-6) and its impact on infection rates in children. Materials and methods:The study included 36 children. The serum concentration of IL-6, iron, and morphology parameters from a venous blood sample were assessed. An anonymous survey of children's parents was conducted regarding the frequency of infections before and after the diagnosis of anemia.Results: In the study group, the levels of IL-6 were higher than in the control group and showed greater variability between individual patients. There was a statistically significant, negative correlation between IL-6 and iron levels within the study group (p = 0.012), and a decrease in the number of viral diarrheas after the diagnosis of anemia compared to the state before diagnosis (p = 0.041). There was no statistically significant change in the number of colds or the mean duration of infection (p = 0.144, p = 0.498), nor in the incidence of other infectious diseases and antibiotics intake in the study group before and after iron deficiency anemia diagnosis (p = 0.500, p = 0.219).Conclusions: IL-6 might play a role in iron deficiency anemia. Increased levels of IL-6 were shown not to correspond with visible changes in rates and the course of colds, but did result in a reduction in the frequency of viral diarrhea. Further research on a larger group of carefully selected patients is required to determine the effect of anemia on the immune system.