Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging examination of Tibetan patients with abnormal iron metabolism and a preliminary study of correlations with blood cell analysis.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to investigate factors influencing the high incidence of abnormal iron metabolism in a Tibetan population.

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study. Magnetic resonance imaging and blood analysis of 363 Tibetan patients were performed and patients divided into normal and abnormal groups based on the clinical diagnostic standard. The upper limit of normal liver iron content was 50 μmol/g. We analyzed the association between abnormal iron metabolism and blood cell indicators using the Spearman rank correlation test.

RESULTS

In male patients, differences in mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and MCH concentration in blood between the normal and abnormal groups were significant. Abnormal iron metabolism in male patients was positively correlated with MCH and MCH concentration. In female patients, differences in erythrocytes, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels between the two groups were significant. Erythrocyte counts and hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of female patients were positively correlated.

CONCLUSION

Iron overload in male patients was correlated with an increase in MCH and MCH concentration, and that in female patients was correlated with levels of erythrocytes, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. The incidence rate of iron overload was higher in males than in females and was correlated with age in this Tibetan population.