Assessment of Iron Profile in Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Owerri, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/c8v0m922Keywords:
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Ferritin, Iron Metabolism, Total Iron-Binding Capacity, Transferrin, Inflammation, OwerriAbstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a chronic, non-malignant enlargement of the prostate gland that affects a large proportion of aging men globally. Although primarily regarded as a urological condition, evidence suggests that systemic metabolic changes, including disturbances in iron metabolism, may play a contributory role in its pathophysiology. This study aimed to assess the iron profile in men with BPH in Owerri, Nigeria, by evaluating serum levels of ferritin, iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin. A total of 60 men aged 40 years and above were enrolled, comprising 30 clinically diagnosed BPH patients and 30 age-matched healthy controls.Six milliliters of venous blood samples were collected, and laboratory assays were performed using standard immunoturbidimetric and colorimetric methods. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS version 21.0, employing Student’s t-test for group comparisons and Pearson correlation for assessing inter-parameter relationships. Results revealed significantly elevated serum ferritin levels in BPH patients (185.60 ± 19.20) ng/mL compared with controls (144.07 ± 23.13 )ng/mL (p = <0.0001). Conversely, serum iron, TIBC, and transferrin levels were significantly lower in BPH patients relative to controls (p = <0.0001 and p= 0.022). Age-based subgroup analysis within the BPH group showed no significant differences in iron profile parameters(p= 0.565, p=0.964, p= 0.354 and p= 0.653). Correlation analysis further revealed no significant positive associations of ferritin with serum iron, TIBC, or transferrin in BPH patients. These findings suggest that BPH is associated with elevated serum ferritin and reduced circulating iron indices, which may reflect the role of chronic inflammation and altered iron homeostasis in BPH pathogenesis. The study underscores the need for further exploration of iron metabolism as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in men with BPH.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Nduka Favour Amarachi, Aloy-Amadi Oluchi Chinwe, Akujobi Augustine Ugochukwu, Akogu Okechukwu (Author)
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