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Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 24-year-old Asian woman comes to the office complaining of fatigue. She states that for weeks she has noticed a decrease in her energy. She is a spin instructor, and she has been unable to teach. She said that when she was bringing groceries up the stairs yesterday she experienced some breathlessness and had to rest after ascending 1 flight. She denies chest pain, palpitations, or dyspnea at rest. She has occasional constipation. She recently became vegan 3 months ago following a yoga retreat abroad. The patient has no significant medical history and takes no medications. She was adopted, and her family history is non-contributory. She has never been pregnant. Her last menstrual period was 3 days ago, and her periods are regular. She is sexually active with her boyfriend of 2 years and uses condoms consistently. She drinks a glass of red wine each evening with dinner. She denies tobacco use or other recreational drug use. Her temperature is 99°F (37.2°C), blood pressure is 104/74 mmHg and pulse is 95/min. Oxygen saturation is 98% while breathing ambient air. On physical examination, bilateral conjunctiva are pale. Her capillary refill is 3 seconds. A complete blood count is drawn, as shown below:

Hemoglobin: 10 g/dL
Hematocrit: 32%
Leukocyte count: 10,000/mm^3 with normal differential
Platelet count: 200,000/mm^3

A peripheral smear shows hypochromic red blood cells and poikilocytosis. A hemoglobin electrophoresis reveals a minor reduction in hemoglobin A2. Which of the following is most likely to be seen on the patient’s iron studies?
assistant
C