IRON ABSORPTION AFTER SINGLE ORAL DOSE OF FERROUS SULFATE OR FERRIC GLUCONATE IN PATIENTS WITH TOTAL GASTRECTOMY: PRELIMINARY DATA

Background and aim: Iron deficiency anemia frequently occurs in total gastrectomized patients. This study aims to evaluate the effects of single dose of 105 mg elemental iron as ferrous sulfate or ferric gluconate in totally gastrectomized patients and in controls. Material and methods: This randomized open controlled study has been conducted in 20 stable totally gastrectomized patients (11 M, 9 F; median time from surgery 28 months) and 20 controls. All subjects participated in 2 test days with 1 mo interval: they ingested in turn a single dose of 105 mg elemental iron as ferrous sulfate (1 capsule) or ferric gluconate (7.5 mL in vial) after a night fasting. Serum iron concentrations at baseline, 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes after the oral dose assumption have been evaluated. Results: In patients receiving FG, basal iron serum levels resulted 97.5 ± 35.6 μ g/dl and did not significantly change at 30’ (93.0 ± 34.9), 60’ (93.8 ± 35.1), 120’ (97.3 ± 35.2) and 180’ (99.4 ± 37.3). In controls receiving FG, basal iron serum levels resulted 91.5 ± 25.9 μ g/dl and did not significantly change at 30’ (91.1 ± 27.9), 60’ (96.9 ± 29.5), 120’ (100.9 ± 34.5) and 180’ (112.8 ± 41.5). Basal levels of iron in patients receiving FS were 92.4 ± 16.5 μ g/dL and gradu- ally increased to 98.3 ± 15.2 at 30’, 110.4 ± 16.9 at 60’, 137.2 ± 28.6 at 120’ and 155.6 ± 37.0 at 180’. In controls receiving FS, basal levels (96.1 ± 37.1 μ g/dL) gradually increased at 30’ (115.1 ± 45.4), 60’ (157.2 ± 70.2), 120 (208.7 ± 78.9), and 180 (255.5 ± 67.9). Conclusions: In the short term (180 min observation) patients and controls iron serum levels resulted significantly influenced by the assumption of FS, but not FG. Further studies with daily FS and FG oral administration are necessary, to verify the efficacy of l ong term elemental iron oral administration in gastrectomized patients