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Query: UMLS:C0240066 (iron deficiency)
 7,156 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Various haematological parameters were followed in a group of 47 Kenyan patients with visceral leishmaniasis during treatment and follow up. The WBC and platelet numbers were normal by the time of cure, the Hb level took longer to become normal. Red cells were microcytic and hypochromic. MCV and MCH increased during follow up but microcytosis persisted up to a year after cure. Low serum iron and transferrin concentration, low total iron binding capacity and normal to high serum ferritin levels were found in 10 patients and are consistent with 'anaemia of chronic inflammation'. Bone marrows of 15 patients before treatment were normo- to hypercellular with increased erythropoietic activity. Low haemosiderin content of the bone marrow was consistent with iron deficiency, but normalization of Hb without iron suppletion would argue against a major role of iron deficiency. Coagulation studies did not indicate diffuse intravascular coagulation. Splenomegaly seems the most important factor in the causation of the pancytopenia. Further studies of contributing factors and of the cause and mechanism of 'hypersplenism' are needed.
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PMID:Haematological investigations in visceral leishmaniasis. 381 Aug 41

Iron deficiency and visceral leishmaniasis are serious problems of public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of iron deficiency, induced by the iron chelator desferrioxamine, on the course of the infection by Leishmania chagasi in BALB/c mice. Our data show that the iron chelator caused significant reduction in hemoglobin concentration of treated mice and reduction in parasite load in spleen and liver. Significant differences were not observed in the production of IFN-gamma and IL-4 among the experimental groups. In conclusion, the data reported in this paper suggest that iron deficiency may favor the host. If there is not enough iron available to the parasite, its multiplication may be reduced and infection attenuated.
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PMID:Leishmania chagasi: effect of the iron deficiency on the infection in BALB/c mice. 2111 Sep 73

Iron plays a central role in host-parasite interactions, since both intervenients need iron for survival and growth, but are sensitive to iron-mediated toxicity. The host's iron overload is often associated with susceptibility to infection. However, it has been previously reported that iron overload prevented the growth of Leishmania major, an agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis, in BALB/c mice. In order to further clarify the impact of iron modulation on the growth of Leishmania in vivo, we studied the effects of iron supplementation or deprivation on the growth of L. infantum, the causative agent of Mediterranean visceral leishmaniasis, in the mouse model. We found that dietary iron deficiency did not affect the protozoan growth, whereas iron overload decreased its replication in the liver and spleen of a susceptible mouse strain. The fact that the iron-induced inhibitory effect could not be seen in mice deficient in NADPH dependent oxidase or nitric oxide synthase 2 suggests that iron eliminates L. infantum in vivo through the interaction with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Iron overload did not significantly alter the mouse adaptive immune response against L. infantum. Furthermore, the inhibitory action of iron towards L. infantum was also observed, in a dose dependent manner, in axenic cultures of promastigotes and amastigotes. Importantly, high iron concentrations were needed to achieve such effects. In conclusion, externally added iron synergizes with the host's oxidative mechanisms of defense in eliminating L. infantum from mouse tissues. Additionally, the direct toxicity of iron against Leishmania suggests a potential use of this metal as a therapeutic tool or the further exploration of iron anti-parasitic mechanisms for the design of new drugs.
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PMID:Iron overload favors the elimination of Leishmania infantum from mouse tissues through interaction with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. 2345 56