The relationship between marrow iron stores, plasma ferritin concentrations and iron absorption

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of haematology Vol. 22; no. 2; p. 113
• Main Authors: Bezwoda, W R, Bothwell, T H, Torrance, J D, MacPhail, A P, Charlton, R W, Kay, G, Levin, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Denmark 01.02.1979
• Subjects: Anemia - blood; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood; Bone Marrow - metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - blood; Female; Ferritins - blood; Hemochromatosis - blood; Hemoglobins - analysis; Humans; Intestinal Absorption; Iron - blood; Iron - deficiency; Iron - metabolism; Lymphoma - blood; Male; Mononuclear Phagocyte System - metabolism; Myeloproliferative Disorders - blood; Transferrin - metabolism
• ISSN: 0036-553X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1979.tb00411.x

The percentage absorption from a 3 mg dose of ferrous iron was measured in 50 subjects with iron stores that varied over a wide range. Iron status was assessed by a number of measurements, including the haemoglobin concentration, the plasma iron concentration, the total iron-binding capacity, the plasma ferritin concentration and the concentration of non-haem iron in the bone marrow. There were good inverse correlations between the log percentage iron absorption and both the log marrow non-haem iron concentration (r -0.94; P less than 0.001) and the log plasma ferritin concentration (r -0.78; P less than 0.001). In addition, there was a positive ferritin concentration (r +0.84; P less than 0.001). These results suggest that reticuloendothelial iron stores represent an important determinant of iron absorption and that their size can be guaged from the plasma ferritin concentration.