Role of Serum Iron in the Activation of Lipid Peroxidation in Critical Conditions

• Published in: Obshchai͡a︡ reanimatologii͡a Vol. 2; no. 3; pp. 18 - 22
• Main Authors: Orlov, Yu. P., Dolgikh, V. T., Glushchenko, A. V., Pritykina, T. V., Yershov, A. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Federal Research and Clinical Center of Intensive Care Medicine and Rehabilitology, Moscow, Russia 20.06.2006
• Subjects: antioxidants; endotoxicosis; free radical oxidation; iron ions; serum iron
• ISSN: 1813-9779; 2411-7110
• DOI: 10.15360/1813-9779-2006-3-18-22

Twenty-four critically ill patients due to generalized purulent peritonitis, pancreatonecrosis, thermal skin injuries, and severe poisoning by acetic acid were examined. The general regularities of the effect of high serum iron concentrations on the health status of patients, on the activity of antioxidative enzymes, and on the initiation of lipid peroxidation (LPO) processes, as supported by the values of Fe2+-induced chemiluminescence, were revealed. In critically ill patients, iron metabolism occurs with the overload of a transport protein, such as transferrin, which is caused by intravascular hemolysis and hemoglobin metabolism to ionized iron. The overload of proteins responsible for iron transport leads to the tissue accumulation of free (ferrous and ferric) iron that is actively involved in the processes of LPO initiation with excess synthesis of cytotoxic radicals, which in turn accounts for the severity of endotoxicosis.