Negative" acute-phase proteins decrease in inflammation, include transferrin, and end-stage renal failure is inflammation disease. Why the level of transferrin is increased in these patients?
Transferrin is an iron-transport protein with a half-life of around 8-10 days. The serum transferrin levels indicate both protein and iron status. The levels increase with iron deficiency and decreases when iron stores are replete or with protein energy malnutrition.
Multiple factors modulate the transferrin levels in patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD); these include intrinsic inflammatory state induced by ESKD, concomitant protein energy malnutrition and iron deficiency. A vast majority of patient with ESRD have iron deficiency, often severe, and this accounts for hypertransferrinemia seen in these patients.
On what basis do you talk about increasing transferrin level in ESRD patients? The vast majority of ESRD patients have protein-energy wasting and low levels of transferrin. The increase of transferrin isn't typical of ESRD and in theory, it can be related to specific circumstances