Anemia is a clinical manifestation, which is commonly observed in patients with inflammatory
bowel disease, and it accounts for significant loss in the quality of life of these patients.
The aim of the current study is to assess the effect of orally administered iron treatment,
as well as its response predictors in patients with inflammatory bowel disease who are in
remission and present anemia. The study will recruit 100 patients with Crohn's disease (CD)
and 100 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) diagnosed and regularly monitored in the
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at the University Hospital of the Federal University of
Juiz de Fora, for clinical, hematological, biochemical and immunological assessment. Blood
samples will be collected (10 ml) and the following tests will be performed in all the anemia
patients (in remission) at the beginning of the treatment and 8 weeks later: complete blood
count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular
hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) , transferrin
saturation index, ferritin, serum iron, hepcidin, quantitative C-reactive protein (CRP),
interleukin-6 (IL-6)) and fecal calprotectin. In addition, quality of life, anxiety and
depression and fatigue questionnaires will be applied to the patients (IBDQ, HAD and
Chalder). The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria will be used to diagnose anemia,
therefore, hemoglobin lower than 12 g/dl for women and 13g/dl for men will be considered
anemia; hemoglobin lower than 10 g/dl will be considered severe anemia. Patients with mild
and moderate anemia in remission will be initially treated with oral iron (oral liposomal
iron) and the occurrence of possible symptoms related to oral iron intolerance will be
assessed, as well as the patients' disease activity level and quality of life. The patients
in follow-up will be subjected to new laboratory tests after the eighth oral iron treatment
week. The results of the current study are expected to help assessing the oral iron efficacy
and response predictors, as well as the side effects of the treatment and its impact on the
quality of life of patients.