QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Taylor, P. Articles by Layrisse, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Taylor, P. Articles by Layrisse, M.

Relationships among Iron Absorption, Percent Saturation of Plasma Transferrin and Serum Ferritin Concentration in Humans¹

Laboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC), Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela

The percent absorption of iron from four dietary sources was compared in 2018 human subjects with three indicators of iron status, serum ferritin concentration, percent saturation of plasma transferrin and iron absorption from a reference dose of ferrous sulfate. Higher correlation coefficients (r) were obtained by comparing dietary iron absorption with the reference dose absorption rather than with serum ferritin; for example, r = +0.61 and r = -0.38, respectively, for a meat and vegetable meal. However, in practice serum ferritin is almost as efficient as the reference dose absorption in estimating dietary iron absorption, because the 95% confidence limits calculated from the regression equations were very similar. The values of r calculated for iron absorption versus transferrin saturation were comparable to those obtained with the other indicators only in the range of transferrin saturation values below 25%, whereas in more iron-replete subjects (transferrin saturation > 25%), this correlation virtually disappeared. This indicates that, although both serum ferritin and transferrin saturation reflect iron status in irondepleted subjects, the control of iron absorption in ironreplete subjects is more dependent on iron stores as reflected in the serum ferritin concentration than the percent saturation of transferrin.

KEY WORDS: • iron absorption • serum ferritin • transferrin saturation

¹ Part of the studies presented here were initially supported by the World Health Organization and the Williams Waterman Foundation. In recent years, they have been supported by the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnológicas of Venezuela, and by the United Nations University.

² To whom reprint requests should be addressed, at Medicina Experimental, IVIC Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela.

Manuscript received 21 January 1988. Revision accepted 6 May 1988.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Thankachan, T. Walczyk, S. Muthayya, A. V Kurpad, and R. F Hurrell Iron absorption in young Indian women: the interaction of iron status with the influence of tea and ascorbic acid Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2008; 87(4): 881 - 886. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M Beiseigel, J. R Hunt, R. P Glahn, R. M Welch, A. Menkir, and B. B Maziya-Dixon Iron bioavailability from maize and beans: a comparison of human measurements with Caco-2 cell and algorithm predictions Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2007; 86(2): 388 - 396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. H. Swain, L. K. Johnson, and J. R. Hunt Electrolytic Iron or Ferrous Sulfate Increase Body Iron in Women with Moderate to Low Iron Stores J. Nutr., March 1, 2007; 137(3): 620 - 627. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. H. Swain, L. K. Johnson, and J. R. Hunt An Irradiated Electrolytic Iron Fortificant Is Poorly Absorbed by Humans and Is Less Responsive than FeSO4 to the Enhancing Effect of Ascorbic Acid J. Nutr., August 1, 2006; 136(8): 2167 - 2174. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. B Hadley, L. K Johnson, and J. R Hunt Iron absorption by healthy women is not associated with either serum or urinary prohepcidin Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2006; 84(1): 150 - 155. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. B. Johnson and C. A. Enns Diferric transferrin regulates transferrin receptor 2 protein stability Blood, December 15, 2004; 104(13): 4287 - 4293. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. K. Yeung, L. Zhu, R. P. Glahn, and D. D. Miller Iron Absorption from NaFeEDTA Is Downregulated in Iron-Loaded Rats J. Nutr., September 1, 2004; 134(9): 2270 - 2274. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Trinder, J. K. Olynyk, W. S. Sly, and E. H. Morgan Iron uptake from plasma transferrin by the duodenum is impaired in the Hfe knockout mouse PNAS, April 16, 2002; 99(8): 5622 - 5626. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]