PURPOSE We aimed to evaluate the association between iron deficiency without anemia (IDNA) and serum lipid profiles in young women of around 20 years of age. METHODS This study included non-anemic (hemoglobin ≥ 12 g/dL) female volunteers aged 18 to 22 years who were not taking mineral/vitamin supplements and living in the metropolitan area of Tokyo, Japan. These volunteers were classified into two groups based on their sFer (serum ferritin) levels: normal group (sFer ≥ 20 ng/mL, n = 36) and IDNA group (sFer < 20 ng/mL, n = 29). Venous blood samples were obtained from the antecubital veins of these volunteers after 10-12-h fasting to measure the hematological and biochemical parameters, including lipid levels and iron status. The results of each group were compared using Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test (for inhomogeneous variance). RESULTS The serum cholesterol levels varied depending on the iron status in the women. Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in the IDNA group were significantly higher (P = 0.006) than that in the normal group. However, the levels of total cholesterol (T-CHO), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were not significantly different between the groups. Serum LDL-C levels were positively and significantly correlated with sFer levels in the IDNA group (Kendall's rank correlation 0.264, P = 0.044), but not in the normal group. The sFer level was not correlated with serum HDL-C in both groups. The reason for the high serum HDL-C levels in young women with IDNA is not yet clear. Compared to the normal group, the frequency of eating bread containing bran was significantly higher (P = 0.031) and that for yogurt was significantly lower (P = 0.040) in the IDNA group. The proportion of the women who were susceptible to infection, which was measured using the Cornell Medical Index, was significantly higher in the IDNA group than in the normal group. Among those susceptible to infection, the serum HDL-C level of the volunteers in the IDNA group was significantly higher than that of the volunteers in the normal group (P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that lipid parameters may be associated with IDNA and susceptibility to infection. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the changes in the serum cholesterol levels in individuals with IDNA and the clinical significance of these findings.

中文翻译：

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没有贫血的铁缺乏症的年轻日本女性的血清脂质谱。

目的我们旨在评估20岁左右的年轻女性的无贫血缺铁（IDNA）与血清脂质分布之间的关系。方法该研究包括年龄在18至22岁之间的非贫血（血红蛋白≥12 g / dL）女性志愿者，他们没有服用矿物质/维生素补充剂，并且居住在日本东京的大都市地区。这些志愿者根据他们的sFer（血清铁蛋白）水平分为两组：正常组（sFer≥20 ng / mL，n = 36）和IDNA组（sFer <20 ng / mL，n = 29）。禁食10-12小时后，从这些志愿者的肘前静脉获取静脉血样本，以测量血液和生化指标，包括血脂水平和铁状态。使用Student's比较各组的结果 s t检验或Mann-Whitney U检验（用于不均匀方差）。结果血清胆固醇水平根据女性铁的状态而变化。IDNA组的血清高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）水平显着高于正常组（P = 0.006）。但是，两组之间的总胆固醇（T-CHO），甘油三酸酯（TG）和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL-C）的水平没有显着差异。IDNA组的血清LDL-C水平与sFer水平呈显着正相关（Kendall's等级相关系数为0.264，P = 0.044），而正常组则没有。两组的sFer水平均与血清HDL-C无关。IDNA年轻女性血清HDL-C水平高的原因尚不清楚。与正常人相比 在IDNA组中，进食含麸皮面包的频率显着较高（P = 0.031），而酸奶的进食频率则显着较低（P = 0.040）。使用康奈尔医学指数（Cornell Medical Index）测得的易感染妇女的比例在IDNA组中明显高于正常组。在易感人群中，IDNA组志愿者的血清HDL-C水平显着高于正常组志愿者（P = 0.024）。结论我们的发现表明脂质参数可能与IDNA和感染的易感性有关。需要进一步的研究来阐明IDNA个体血清胆固醇水平变化的潜在机制以及这些发现的临床意义。