Non-invasive detection of iron deficiency by fluorescence measurement of erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin in the lip

Georg Hennig, Christian Homann, Ilknur Teksan, Uwe Hasbargen, Stephan Hasmüller, Lesca M. Holdt, Nadia Khaled, Ronald Sroka, Thomas Stauch, Herbert Stepp, Michael Vogeser and Gary M. Brittenham ()
Additional contact information
Georg Hennig: Laser-Forschungslabor, LIFE-Zentrum, Klinikum der Universität München
Christian Homann: Laser-Forschungslabor, LIFE-Zentrum, Klinikum der Universität München
Ilknur Teksan: Perinatalzentrum Großhadern, Klinikum der Universität München
Uwe Hasbargen: Perinatalzentrum Großhadern, Klinikum der Universität München
Stephan Hasmüller: Perinatalzentrum Großhadern, Klinikum der Universität München
Lesca M. Holdt: Institut für Laboratoriumsmedizin, Klinikum der Universität München
Ronald Sroka: Laser-Forschungslabor, LIFE-Zentrum, Klinikum der Universität München
Thomas Stauch: Deutsches Kompetenz-Zentrum für Porphyriediagnostik und Konsultation, MVZ Labor PD Dr. Volkmann und Kollegen GbR
Herbert Stepp: Laser-Forschungslabor, LIFE-Zentrum, Klinikum der Universität München
Michael Vogeser: Institut für Laboratoriumsmedizin, Klinikum der Universität München
Gary M. Brittenham: Columbia University, Children’s Hospital of New York

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Worldwide, more individuals have iron deficiency than any other health problem. Most of those affected are unaware of their lack of iron, in part because detection of iron deficiency has required a blood sample. Here we report a non-invasive method to optically measure an established indicator of iron status, red blood cell zinc protoporphyrin, in the microcirculation of the lower lip. An optical fibre probe is used to illuminate the lip and acquire fluorescence emission spectra in ∼1 min. Dual-wavelength excitation with spectral fitting is used to distinguish the faint zinc protoporphyrin fluorescence from the much greater tissue background fluorescence, providing immediate results. In 56 women, 35 of whom were iron-deficient, the sensitivity and specificity of optical non-invasive detection of iron deficiency were 97% and 90%, respectively. This fluorescence method potentially provides a rapid, easy to use means for point-of-care screening for iron deficiency in resource-limited settings lacking laboratory infrastructure.

Date: 2016
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms10776 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10776

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10776

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().