Baseline variables

HIV-1 positive

HIV negative

Community

control (Sgr V)

P value

(at enrolment)

Fe pos

(Sgr I)

Fe neg

(SgrII)

Fe pos

(SgrIII)

Fe neg

(SgrIV)

Overall

I vs II

III vs IV

n = 60

n = 58

n = 30

n = 50

n= 40

Consumption of iron tablets/day

Range

No

6 - 14

9.97 ± 1.8**

NA*

NA*

4 - 14

9.70 ± 2.6

NA*

NA*

NA*

NA*

Hemoglobin (gm/dl)***

12.9 ± 0.39

12.6 ± 0.26

12.7 ± 0.32

12.5 ± 0.22

12.8 ± 0.21

<0.001

<0.001

0.03

Serum iron (µmol/l)***

40.1 ± 5.49

17 ± 3.33

41.2 ± 4.6

16.2 ± 3.3

16.6 ± 3.21

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

Serum Ferritin (µg/l)***

349 ± 106

86 ± 16

371 ± 80

77 ± 21

90 ± 24

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

Transferrin saturation (%)

65.3 ± 9.5

30.3 ± 4.4

70.1 ± 5.7

32.5 ± 5.9

31.4 ± 4.6

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001