Absolute Reticulocyte Count and Reticulocyte Hemoglobin Content as Predictors of Early Response to Exclusive Oral Iron in Children with Iron Deficiency Anemia

Table 3

Descriptive characteristics of patients, divided into CERs = complete early responders (i.e., normal Hb value at day +30 for therapy onset), PERs = partial early responders (Hb value at day +30 at least 50% higher than the original one), and NERs = not early responders. values come from Wilcoxon sum rank test.

(a)

	CERs ()		PERs + NERs ()
		(%)		(%)	value
Male	14	(63.64%)	8	(36.36%)	0.430
Female	10	(83.33%)	2	(16.67%)
	Mean	(SD)	Mean	(SD)	value
T0 Hb (g/dL)	7.00	(1.03)	6.46	(1.60)	0.134
T1 Hb (g/dL)	7.67	(1.02)	6.63	(1.68)	0.050
T2 Hb (g/dL)	11.33	(1.15)	8.70	(0.94)	<0.001
T0 ARC (/mmc)	63820	(29399)	94280	(39813)	0.040
T1 ARC (/mmc)	177077	(113504)	148200	(63023)	0.620
T2 ARC (/mmc)	63300	(33954)	107560	(32749)	0.002
(T1 ARC − T0 ARC)/T0 ARC	2.92	(4.87)	0.58	(0.29)	0.023
T0 CHr (pg)	19.04	(2.33)	16.73°	(1.44)	0.020
T1 CHr (pg)	22.95	(2.38)	18.41°	(1.69)	0.001
T2 CHr (pg)	27.66	(2.99)	20.73°	(3.38)	0.001
(T1 CHr−T0 CHr)/T0 CHr	0.21	(0.14)	0.11°	(0.14)	0.042
			°

(b)

	CERs + PERs ()		NERs ()
		(%)		(%)	value
Male	18	(81.82%)	4	(18.18%)	1.000
Female	10	(83.33%)	2	(16.67%)
	Mean	(SD)	Mean	(SD)	value
T0 Hb (g/dL)	6.78	(1.12)	7.13	(1.73)	0.790
T0 Hb (g/dL)	7.40	(1.20)	7.18	(1.90)	0.750
T0 Hb (g/dL)	11.00	(1.35)	8.47	(1.14)	0.001
T0 ARC (/mmc)	71143	(35210)	80417	(36866)	0.580
T0 ARC (/mmc)	178991	(105758)	120017	(61270)	0.120
T0 ARC (/mmc)	70354	(36863)	104150	(39149)	0.040
(T1 ARC−T0 ARC)/T0 ARC	2.60	(4.56)	0.49	(0.23)	0.005
T0 CHr (pg)	18.56	(2.49)	17.35°	(1.39)	0.300
T1 CHr (pg)	22.42	(2.73)	18.07°	(0.91)	0.001
T2 CHr (pg)	27.09	(3.30)	19.35°	(2.60)	<0.001
(T1 CHr−T0 CHr)/T0 CHr	0.22	(0.14)	0.04°	(0.06)	0.006
			°