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

There is increasing evidence that both iron overload and iron deficiency are associated with significant abnormalities of immune function. In diseases associated with iron overload there is increased susceptibility to both infection and neoplasia. The precise mechanisms are still being unravelled but iron overload has been shown to impair antigen-specific immune responses and to reduce the number of functional helper precursor cells. Similarly, iron in vitro in concentrations reported to be present in the serum of patients with iron overload impairs the generation of cytotoxic T-cells, enhances suppressor T-cell activity and reduces the proliferative capacity of helper T-cells. The predominant tumor seen in iron overload is primary hepatocellular carcinoma; however other aetiological factors appear to be involved in addition to iron overload, especially hepatic cirrhosis. Nevertheless, primary liver cancer occurs much more frequently in hemochromatosis than in other forms of cirrhosis. Iron deficiency is associated with an altered response to infection but the relationship is again a complex one. The cellular mechanisms involved have yet to be clearly defined, although impaired T and B cell function have been demonstrated.
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PMID:Iron status and cellular immune competence. 328 53

About 2.5% of the world population, corresponding to about 177 million individuals, are infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV), a small, single-stranded RNA virus. The prevalence of HCV infection among dialysis patients in Japan, Europe, and North America during the 2012 to 2015 period was found to be 8.7% in the DOPPS study. Nosocomial HCV spread in hemodialysis facilities still occurs. Increased hepatic tissue iron has been shown to play a deleterious role in the course of hepatitis C, favor development of fibrosis and cirrhosis and possibly increase the risk of liver cancer in the general population. Regular loss of blood in the hemodialysis circuit, in routine blood sampling for laboratory tests (for uremia monitoring), and in gut due to uremic enteropathy, invariably results in iron deficiency for which patients are commonly treated with intravenous (IV) iron preparations. Data on the effects of IV iron in hemodialysis patients with hepatitis C are limited (2 studies) and strongly suggest that parenteral iron may contribute to hepatocellular injury. Iatrogenic iron overload is extremely prevalent among hemodialysis population worldwide. Iron overload and toxicity has emerged as one of the most controversial topic in the management of anemia in dialysis patients. Given the known impact of iron in promoting growth and virulence of HCV and the associated liver disease, it is necessary to use iron therapy cautiously and closely monitor plasma markers of iron metabolism and liver iron stores non-invasively by means of MRI to avoid iron overload in this vulnerable population.
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PMID:Impact of iatrogenic iron overload on the course of hepatitis C in the dialysis population: A plea for caution. 2833 6