Iron studies pattern - anaemia of chronic disease vs iron deficiency vs haemochromatosis
Core concept
- Read transferrin/TIBC and ferritin in opposite directions - that is the whole discrimination
- Iron deficiency: the body wants iron -> inc transferrin (TIBC), dec ferritin
- Inflammation: the body hides iron -> dec transferrin (negative acute-phase reactant), inc ferritin (positive acute-phase reactant)
- Hepcidin is the switch
- IL-6 -> hepatic hepcidin -> binds and degrades ferroportin on enterocytes, macrophages and hepatocytes
- -> dec gut absorption + iron trapped in macrophages -> low serum iron with adequate stores
- Iron deficiency and hypoxia suppress hepcidin; haemochromatosis is functionally a hepcidin-deficient state
3 more sections, plus exam facts
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