Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Anthony S. Tavill
- Preface
- 1 History of iron overload disorders
- 2 Normal iron absorption and metabolism
- 3 Iron toxicity
- 4 Tests for hemochromatosis and iron overload
- 5 Complications of hemochromatosis and iron overload
- 6 Insulin resistance and iron overload
- 7 Infections and immunity
- 8 Classical and atypical HFE hemochromatosis
- 9 Heterozygosity for HFE C282Y
- 10 Porphyria cutanea tarda
- 11 Mitochondrial mutations as modifiers of hemochromatosis
- 12 Hemochromatosis associated with ferroportin gene (SLC40A1) mutations
- 13 Hemochromatosis associated with hemojuvelin gene (HJV) mutations
- 14 Hemochromatosis associated with hepcidin gene (HAMP) mutations
- 15 Hemochromatosis associated with transferrin receptor-2 gene (TFR2) mutations
- 16 Iron overload associated with IRE mutation of ferritin heavy-chain gene (FTH1)
- 17 Hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome: IRE mutations of ferritin light-chain gene (FTL)
- 18 Iron overload in Native Africans and African-Americans
- 19 Hereditary atransferrinemia
- 20 Divalent metal transporter-1 (SLC11A2) iron overload
- 21 Iron overload associated with thalassemia syndromes
- 22 Iron overload associated with hemoglobinopathies
- 23 Iron overload associated with pyruvate kinase deficiency
- 24 Iron overload associated with congenital dyserythropoietic anemias
- 25 Hereditary sideroblastic anemias
- 26 Pearson marrow–pancreas syndrome
- 27 Acquired sideroblastic anemias
- 28 Hereditary aceruloplasminemia
- 29 Friedreich ataxia and cardiomyopathy
- 30 Pantothenate kinase (PANK2)-associated neurodegeneration
- 31 Neuroferritinopathies
- 32 GRACILE syndrome
- 33 Neonatal hemochromatosis
- 34 Iron overload due to excessive supplementation
- 35 Localized iron overload
- 36 Management of iron overload
- 37 Population screening for hemochromatosis
- 38 Ethical, legal, and social implications
- 39 Directions for future research
- Index
- Plate section
- References
2 - Normal iron absorption and metabolism
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 June 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Anthony S. Tavill
- Preface
- 1 History of iron overload disorders
- 2 Normal iron absorption and metabolism
- 3 Iron toxicity
- 4 Tests for hemochromatosis and iron overload
- 5 Complications of hemochromatosis and iron overload
- 6 Insulin resistance and iron overload
- 7 Infections and immunity
- 8 Classical and atypical HFE hemochromatosis
- 9 Heterozygosity for HFE C282Y
- 10 Porphyria cutanea tarda
- 11 Mitochondrial mutations as modifiers of hemochromatosis
- 12 Hemochromatosis associated with ferroportin gene (SLC40A1) mutations
- 13 Hemochromatosis associated with hemojuvelin gene (HJV) mutations
- 14 Hemochromatosis associated with hepcidin gene (HAMP) mutations
- 15 Hemochromatosis associated with transferrin receptor-2 gene (TFR2) mutations
- 16 Iron overload associated with IRE mutation of ferritin heavy-chain gene (FTH1)
- 17 Hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome: IRE mutations of ferritin light-chain gene (FTL)
- 18 Iron overload in Native Africans and African-Americans
- 19 Hereditary atransferrinemia
- 20 Divalent metal transporter-1 (SLC11A2) iron overload
- 21 Iron overload associated with thalassemia syndromes
- 22 Iron overload associated with hemoglobinopathies
- 23 Iron overload associated with pyruvate kinase deficiency
- 24 Iron overload associated with congenital dyserythropoietic anemias
- 25 Hereditary sideroblastic anemias
- 26 Pearson marrow–pancreas syndrome
- 27 Acquired sideroblastic anemias
- 28 Hereditary aceruloplasminemia
- 29 Friedreich ataxia and cardiomyopathy
- 30 Pantothenate kinase (PANK2)-associated neurodegeneration
- 31 Neuroferritinopathies
- 32 GRACILE syndrome
- 33 Neonatal hemochromatosis
- 34 Iron overload due to excessive supplementation
- 35 Localized iron overload
- 36 Management of iron overload
- 37 Population screening for hemochromatosis
- 38 Ethical, legal, and social implications
- 39 Directions for future research
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Iron is essential to life because it is the central oxygen ligand in the heme proteins hemoglobin and myoglobin. Accordingly, there are many interactions between iron homeostasis and oxygen regulation and delivery. Iron is also required for cytochrome P-450 enzyme oxidative metabolism and DNA synthesis. In health, body iron content is controlled by absorption that responds to iron losses and the rate of erythropoiesis. Multiple mechanisms provide functional feedback control of iron homeostasis, tissue oxygen sensing and delivery, and the tempo of red blood cell production. The physiologic capacity to excrete iron is very limited. Thus, body iron content is regulated almost entirely by controlled absorption. This chapter reviews the basic physiologic and molecular characteristics of iron metabolism and homeostasis, and their pertinence to iron overload disorders.
Iron physiology
Normal iron homeostasis is maintained by absorption of iron from the diet that precisely balances iron loss, and by controlled iron distribution in the body. Normal healthy adults have 4000–5000 mg of iron (Table 2.1). Daily iron loss occurs due to perspiration, desquamation from skin, and minor injuries, and from the gastrointestinal tract. The rate of this unavoidable iron loss is proportional to body iron stores. Women lose additional iron due to menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth, and lactation. Overall, daily iron losses in adult men and post-menopausal women are approximately 1.0 mg and in menstruating women approximately 1.5 mg. The median iron loss ascribable to pregnancy is 500 mg.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Handbook of Iron Overload Disorders , pp. 10 - 27Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010