{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T13:59:40Z","timestamp":1789480780771,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,29]],"date-time":"2024-07-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1722211200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Anemia is a global public health concern, affecting both developing and industrialized countries at a rate of 39.8%. It is defined by low hemoglobin concentration, and anemia varies in severity based on age: &amp;lt;11\u2009g\/dL (6\u201359\u2009months), &amp;lt;11.5\u2009g\/dL (5\u201311\u2009years), and\u2009&amp;lt;\u200912\u2009g\/dL (12\u201314\u2009years).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study evaluates the Mentzer index\u2019s reliability in differentiating iron deficiency anemia from the thalassemia trait.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A total of 434 children (\u226416\u2009years) with hemoglobin electrophoresis previously screened for microcytosis (MCV &amp;lt;80 FL) and an iron profile were included. Children with other hematological conditions were excluded.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Out of 434 children, 181 were diagnosed with thalassemia, and 345 had iron deficiency anemia. The Mentzer index showed 74% sensitivity and 63% specificity for the beta-thalassemia trait, with 61% sensitivity and 36% specificity for iron deficiency anemia. The beta-thalassemia trait group had the highest negative predictive value (98%), while iron deficiency anemia had the highest positive predictive value (79%).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Our study, which is consistent with previous literature, suggests that the Mentzer index is not highly reliable in distinguishing iron deficiency anemia from the thalassemia trait among children in Saudi Arabia.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2024.1361805","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,29]],"date-time":"2024-07-29T04:31:11Z","timestamp":1722227471000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Diagnostic test performance of the Mentzer index in evaluating Saudi children with microcytosis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Amani M.","family":"AlQarni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arwa","family":"Althumairi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nourah K.","family":"Alkaltham","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samaa","family":"AlJishi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amani Mohammed","family":"Hakami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leena Mohamed Osman Ali","family":"Abdalla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zahra Sayed Jalal","family":"Alawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdullah H.","family":"Alreedy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","year":""},{"key":"ref2","year":""},{"key":"ref3","year":""},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1016\/j.hoc.2015.11.002","article-title":"The global burden of Anemia","volume":"30","author":"Kassebaum","year":"2016","journal-title":"Hematol Oncol Clin North Am"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e018261","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2017-018261","article-title":"Patient-level and practice-level factors associated with consultation duration: a cross-sectional analysis of over one million consultations in English primary care","volume":"7","author":"Stevens","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1832","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1401038","article-title":"Iron-deficiency anemia","volume":"372","author":"Camaschella","year":"2015","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"746","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2015-2567","article-title":"Screening for Iron deficiency Anemia in young children: USPSTF recommendation statement","volume":"136","author":"Siu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"556","DOI":"10.1136\/pgmj.61.716.556-a","article-title":"The Harriet lane handbook. A manual for pediatric house officers","volume":"61","author":"Douek","year":"","journal-title":"Postgrad Med J"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1040","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2010-2576","article-title":"Diagnosis and prevention of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia in infants and young children (0-3 years of age)","volume":"126","author":"Baker","year":"2010","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"723","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2014-3979","article-title":"Screening and routine supplementation for iron deficiency anemia: a systematic review","volume":"135","author":"McDonagh","year":"2015","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4331","DOI":"10.1182\/blood-2010-01-251348","article-title":"The inherited diseases of hemoglobin are an emerging global health burden","volume":"115","author":"Weatherall","year":"2010","journal-title":"Blood"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"893","DOI":"10.1080\/17474086.2022.2132225","article-title":"Sickle cell disease in gulf cooperation council countries: a systematic review","volume":"15","author":"Abu-Shaheen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Expert Rev Hematol"},{"key":"ref13","year":""},{"key":"ref14","author":"Mazza","year":"2002"},{"key":"ref15","volume-title":"Guidelines for the Management of Transfusion Dependent Thalassaemia (TDT)","author":"Cappellini","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref16","author":"Taher","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref17","article-title":"Mentzer index a simple tool to differentiate Beta Thalassaemia trait from Iron deficiency Anaemia, a review","volume-title":"IJSR","year":""},{"key":"ref18","year":""},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.9790\/0853-1707060711","article-title":"Is Mentzer index a reliable diagnostic screening tool for Beta thalassemia trait?","volume":"17","author":"Maimoon","year":"2018","journal-title":"IOSR J Dent Med Sci"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"878","DOI":"10.12669\/pjms.38.4.4635","article-title":"Role of Mentzer index for differentiating iron deficiency anemia and beta thalassemia trait in pregnant women","volume":"38","author":"Tabassum","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pak J Med Sci"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1111\/ijlh.12527","article-title":"Laboratory diagnosis of thalassemia","volume":"38","author":"Brancaleoni","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int J Lab Hematol"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.21608\/smj.2019.15375.1031","article-title":"Assessment of new indices to discriminate between iron deficiency anemia and thalassemia trait in Sohag University","volume":"23","author":"Ayman","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sohag Med J"},{"key":"ref23","year":""},{"key":"ref24","article-title":"Thalassemia","volume-title":"StatPearls","author":"Bajwa","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref25","year":""},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"208","DOI":"10.1097\/MPH.0000000000001597","article-title":"Erythrocyte indices as differential diagnostic biomarkers of Iron deficiency Anemia and thalassemia","volume":"42","author":"D\u00fczenli Kar","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Pediatr Hematol Oncol"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"324","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1751-553x.2007.00966.x","article-title":"Evaluation of the diagnostic reliability of different RBC indices and formulas in the differentiation of the beta-thalassaemia minor from iron deficiency in Palestinian population","volume":"30","author":"Sirdah","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int J Lab Hematol"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2333794X2211309","DOI":"10.1177\/2333794X221130986","article-title":"Screening of Iron deficiency Anemia in children using Mentzer index in Pakistan: a cross sectional study","volume":"10","author":"Sherali","year":"2023","journal-title":"Glob Pediatr Health"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"294","DOI":"10.14238\/pi54.5.2014.294-8","article-title":"Mentzer index as a screening tool for iron deficiency anemia in 6-12-year-old children","volume":"54","author":"Alam","year":"2014","journal-title":"Paediatr Indones"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"A124","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2021-europaediatrics.294","article-title":"294 comparison of mathematical indices used to differentiate between \u03b2-thalassemia and iron deficiency anemia in croatian children","volume":"106","author":"Turudic","year":"2021","journal-title":"Arch Dis Child"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e221","DOI":"10.1097\/MPH.0000000000001382","article-title":"Causes of hypochromic microcytic Anemia in children and evaluation of laboratory parameters in the differentiation","volume":"41","author":"Aydogan","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Pediatr Hematol Oncol"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"612","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1442-200x.2002.01636.x","article-title":"Most reliable indices in differentiation between thalassemia trait and iron deficiency anemia","volume":"44","author":"Demir","year":"2002","journal-title":"Pediatr Int"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2024.1361805\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,22]],"date-time":"2024-08-22T22:08:35Z","timestamp":1724364515000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2024.1361805\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,29]]},"references-count":32,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmed.2024.1361805"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2024.1361805","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-858X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-858X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,29]]},"article-number":"1361805"}}