Table 2.

Concentrations of Indicators of Iron Status as a Function of Inflammation (Acute Phase Proteins [APPs]) and Postpartum/Lactation Period in Congolese Females

	Degree of Inflammation
Postpartum/Lactation Period / Iron Status Indicator	None APP=0	Mild APP=1	Moderate and Severe APP≥2
0.5 to 24 months	n=31^†	n=66^†	n=34^†
Serum ferritin, μg/L	70.80 ± 6.82	65.18 ± 6.34	68.18 ± 8.46
Log ferritin	1.788 ± 0.04	1.732 ± 0.03	1.758 ± 0.04
Hemoglobin, g/dL	11.32 ± 2.47	11.43 ± 0.17	11.60 ± 0.18
Transferrin saturation, %	20.17 ± 2.37	21.98 ± 1.64	20.48 ± 2.04
0.5 to 6 months	n=8^†	n=27^†	n=12^†
Serum ferritin, μg/L	63.23 ± 18.42	50.55 ± 6.01^b	66.67 ± 18.50
Log ferritin	1.702 ± 0.105	1.64 ± 0.05	1.701 ± 0.09
Hemoglobin, g/dL	12.01 ± 0.42	10.97 ± 0.25	11.67 ± 0.38
Transferrin saturation, %	22.06 ± 4.90	22.66 ± 2.59	18.94 ± 3.12
6.1 to 12 months	n=8^†	n=22^†	n=6^†
Serum ferritin, μg/L	59.75 ± 7.37^*	81.84 ± 15.09^a	64.33 ± 9.46
Log ferritin	1.746 ± 0.067	1.833 ± 0.166	1.776 ± 0.083
Hemoglobin, g/dL	10.93 ± 0.71	11.64 ± 0.32	11.04 ± 0.54
Transferrin saturation, %	23.72 ± 6.86	21.19 ± 3.09	24.87 ± 6.96
12.1 to 18 months	n=9^†	n=12^†	n=11^†
Serum ferritin, μg/L	78.44 ± 11.04	67.86 ± 13.78^b	77.91 ± 16.15
Log ferritin	1.843 ± 0.080	1.756 ± 0.074	1.834 ± 0.063
Hemoglobin, g/dL	10.80 ± 0.41	11.78 ± 0.35	11.71 ± 0.28
Transferrin saturation, %	17.00 ± 3.28	22.06 ± 3.24	19.82 ± 1.62
18.1 to 24 months	n=6^†	n=5^†	n=5^†
Serum ferritin, μg/L	84.17 ± 17.72	64.40 ± 16.30^b	55.00 ± 9.10
Log ferritin	1.876 ± 0.093	1.761 ± 0.097	1.709 ± 0.089
Hemoglobin, g/dL	11.82 ± 0.15	12.22 ± 0.51	11.90 ± 0.17
Transferrin saturation, %	17.27 ± 2.46	21.23 ± 4.28	19.16 ± 8.31

Note: Data are presented as mean ± SEM.
↵^†Maximum sample size.
↵^*P<0.1; mean serum ferritin concentration of females without inflammation (APP=0) in the 6.1- to 12-month postpartum/lactation period was slightly lower than mean serum ferritin concentration of those with mild (APP=1) inflammation.
a>b, P<0.05; mean serum ferritin concentration of females with mild inflammation (APP=1) in the 6.1- to 12-month postpartum/lactation period was higher than the concentrations in females in the other 3 subgroups.