Transferrin levels are associated with malnutrition markers in hemodialysis patients in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptive statistics patients (n = 59).

	N statistic	Min statistic	Max statistic	Mean statistic	Mean Std. error	Std. deviation statistic
Gender Male (m) and Female (f)	59	–	–	–	0.066	0.504
Age (yr)	59	20.00	71.00	45.373	1.738	13.353
Height (m)	50	1.09	1.85	1.627	0.016	0.111
MUAC (cm)	50	16.00	36.00	28.743	0.651	4.607
Skin fold thickness(mm)	50	1.40	77.80	22.862	2.059	14.559
HB (g/dL)	49	4.60	14.30	10.025	0.278	1.946
Ferritin (µg/L)	49	19.00	1650.00	941.265	68.453	479.174
Albumin (g/L)	49	15.00	42.00	32.490	0.917	6.423
Transferrin (g/dL)	48	0.95	2.25	1.451	0.046	0.316
Transferrin saturation (%)	45	5.00	73.00	30.956	2.336	15.673
ESR (mm/h)	30	7.00	140.00	37.033	5.410	29.632
CRP (mg/dL)	30	6.00	288.00	31.870	9.776	53.545
Dry weight (kg)	22	52.00	108.00	72.782	3.704	17.375
EPO Weekly dosage (IU)	55	0.00	18000.00	8007.273	840.169	6230.863
Erythropoietin level (mU/mL)	34	4.20	143.80	22.668	5.407	31.528
Urea (mg/dL)	37	9.40	45.50	24.746	1.397	8.495

Table 2. Clinical parameters patients (n = 59).

Variables	Means ± (SEM)
Skin fold thickness (mm)	22.86 ± 2.06
(MUAC (cm)	38.74 ± 0.65
Height (m)	1.63 ± 0.02
Weight (kg)	73.6 ± 4.6
Age (yr)	45.37 ± 1.74
Systolic Bp (mmHg)	153.0 ± 2.8
Diastolic Bp (mmHg)	89.4 ± 1.9
Mean arterial pressures (mmHg)	110 ± 2.0

Table 3. Laboratory parameters patients (n = 59).

Variables	Means ± (SEM)
Hemoglobin (g/dL)	10.03 ± 0.28
Ferritin (µg/L)	941.30 ± 68.45
Transferrin (g/dL)	1.45 ± 0.05
Transferrin saturation (%)	30.96 ± 2.34
Albumin (g/L)	32.49 ± 0.92
EPO levels (mU/mL)	22.67 ± 5.41
EPO weekly dose (IU)	8007 ± 840.2

Table 4. Univariate linear regression analysis (MUAC as dependent variable) N = 59.

Variable	Odds Ratio	Confidence Interval	p value
Transferrin (g/dL)	4.578	[0.532–8.625]	0.027*
Albumin (g/L)	0.052	[−154 to 0.259]	0.616
C Reactive Protein (CRP) mg/dL	0.003	[−0.030 to 0.036]	0.849
Hemoglobin (Hb)	0.277	[−0.402 to 0.955]	0.416

* significant at the p = < 0.05 level.

Table 5. Univariate linear regression analysis (transferrin as dependent variable) N = 59.

Variable	Odds ratio	Confidence Interval	p value
MUAC (mm)	0.22	[0.03–0.042]	0.027*
Skin fold thickness(g/dL)	0.004	[0.002–0.11]	0.021*
Ferritin (µg/L)	−8.16E	[0–0]	0.930
Transferrin saturation (%)	−0.01	[0.07–0.04]	0.608
ESR (mm/h)	0.002	[0.02]	0.251
Urea (mg/dL)	−0.09	[0.021]	0.155
Albumin (g/L)	0.019	[0.005–0.032]	0.007*
Hemoglobin (g/dL)	0.043	[0.004–0.090]	0.075
Dry Weight (kg)	0.010	[0.002–0.019]	0.020*

* significant at the p = < 0.05 level.

Figure 1. Scatter plot graph depicting transferrin levels in the HD participants (n = 59).

Figure 2. Scatter plot graph depicting the relationship of skinfold thickness with transferrin levels.

Figure 3. Scatter plot graph depicting the relationship of MUAC with transferrin level.

Figure 4. Percentages of MUAC in males and females.

Table 6. Showing the percentages of skin fold thickness in males and females using the appropriate reference ranges for evidence of malnutrition.

Skin fold thickness ranges (males) for malnutrition		Skin fold thickness (females) for malnutrition
< 14 mm	24%	< 23 mm	48%
> 14 mm	76%	> 23 mm	52%

Figure 5. Showing distribution of transferrin levels in malnutrition groups.