Plasma ferritin concentrations in anemic children: relative importance of malaria, riboflavin deficiency, and other infections.

Anemia (hemoglobin less than 110 g/L) was documented in 36 children of both sexes aged 1-12 y who were divided into two groups: malaria and other infections. The control subjects were 10 children of similar age with no anemia and without any apparent infections. Plasma ferritin concentrations (median, range) were higher in the anemic patients (203 micrograms/L, 21-5000 micrograms/L) than in control children (52 micrograms/L, 25-239 micrograms/L) although ferritin concentrations in those with malaria were still within the normal range (99 micrograms/L, 21-205 micrograms/L). In the rest of the anemic group, five patients had plasma ferritin concentrations greater than 1000 micrograms/L. There was no difference in riboflavin status between control subjects and patients or between the two anemic groups. Severity of anemia was no different between the two anemic groups either. The data indicate that riboflavin deficiency makes no contribution to the infection-induced elevation in plasma ferritin and that the contribution of malaria is smaller than that of other unidentified factors.