Soluble transferrin receptor can predict all-cause mortality regardless of anaemia and iron storage status

Despite interest in the clinical implications of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), previous studies on the association of sTfR with mortality in the general population are lacking. Therefore, we analysed the association between sTfR and all-cause mortality in the general United States adult population. We conducted a prospective cohort study using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2003 to 2010. A total of 5403 premenopausal nonpregnant females were analysed in this study. The mean age was 34.2 years (range 20.0–49.9 years). Participants were divided into log(sTfR) tertiles. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The secondary outcome was chronic kidney disease (CKD) development (composite of estimated glomerular filtration rate 2 and/or random urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g). During a median 8.7 years of follow-up, 103 (1.9%) participants died. Compared with the reference group (log(sTfR) 0.45–0.57), the highest tertile of log(sTfR) was associated with all-cause mortality (log(sTfR) > 0.57, hazard ratio [HR] 1.77 [95% CI 1.05–2.98]) in a multivariable hazards model including covariates such as haemoglobin and ferritin. Patients in the highest tertile of log(sTfR) also had an increased risk of CKD relative to those in the reference tertile. High sTfR was associated with all-cause mortality and CKD regardless of anaemia and iron storage status.