Iron deficiency in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a matter of definition!

Background: There is increasing interest in the role of iron homeostasis in the natural history of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In our study we describe a work-up of iron status in a heterogeneous "real-life" PAH cohort according to different definitions of iron deficiency (ID). Material and methods: In a retrospective study in 84 patients with PAH the presence of ID was assessed according to four different definitions: (1) soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) > 2.07 mg/l, (2) ferritin < 30ug/l and transferrin saturation < 15%, (3) ferritin < 100ug/l and transferrin saturation < 20% and (4) an elevated…