Hepatic iron deposition in humans. I. First-pass hepatic deposition of intestinally absorbed iron in patients with low plasma latent iron-binding capacity.

capacity was saturated by an acute intravenous infusion of iron, deposited a large fraction of intestinally absorbed iron in the liver during the first pass of portal venous blood through this organ.1 Subsequently, Wheby and Umpiere demonstrated similar results in normal human subjects given sufficient iron to acutely saturate their plasma iron-binding capacity.2 Our results in patients with spontaneous chronic low plasma latent iron-binding capacity agree with those obtained by Wheby and Umpiere. The present results were obtained using a new triple radioiron-isotope technic3 which allows for simultaneous measurement of the fraction of orally administered iron absorbed into the body during a 2-week period, the fraction of orally administered iron appearing in the systemic circulation over a 6-hour period, the fraction of orally administered iron absorbed and deposited in the liver during this 6-hour period, and the fraction of iron initially deposited in the liver and then released into the systemic circulation during the subsequent 2 weeks. This technic further allows for visualization of the distribution of iron in the intestinal tract and the remainder of the body while intestinal absorption is occurring.