Circulating free iron is lethal. Humans have two circulating iron binding proteins to soak up free iron to prevent it from generating toxic quantities of free radicals. These proteins are transferrin, a highaffinity, low-capacity protein (2 atoms of iron per mole cule of transferrin) for which there are receptors on the surface of every iron-requiring cell; and ferritin, a lower-affinity, high-...

Sickle erythrocyte (RBC) membranes were previously shown to manifest increased Fenton activity (iron-dependent, peroxide-driven formation of hydroxyl radical [.OH]) compared with normal RBC membranes, but the nature of the catalytic iron was not defined. We now find that sickle membranes exposed to superoxide (.O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) have three distinct iron compartments able to act ...

it is well-known that deficiency or over exposure to various elements has noticeable effects on human health. the effect of an element is determined by several characteristics, including absorption, metabolism, and degree of interaction with physiological processes. iron is an essential element for almost all living organisms as it participates in a wide variety of metabolic processes, includin...

The gram-negative oral and systemic pathogen Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans produces a leukotoxin (LtxA) that is a member of the RTX (repeats in toxin) family of secreted bacterial toxins. We have recently shown that LtxA has the ability to lyse erythrocytes, which results in a beta-hemolytic phenotype on Columbia blood agar. To determine if LtxA is regulated by iron, we...

OBJECTIVES To assess nutritional iron status and anemia prevalence in children less than 5 years old at public daycare centers in the city of Recife, PE, Brazil. METHODS A cross-sectional study, with a systematic random sampling of 162 children aged 6 to 59 months. Nutritional iron status was assessed in terms of body iron reserves (serum ferritin), transferrinemia (serum iron, total iron bin...

Raji, a malignant B-lymphocyte cell line containing Epstein-Barr virus genomic elements, has been conditioned to proliferate optimally in transferrin (Tf)-free medium containing a very low concentration of an iron salt. We provide evidence that an Tf-independent iron uptake system is physiologically important for maintaining the growth of these cells. The data show that Raji cells take up iron ...

Most forms of life require iron for growth and survival, because it is involved in many cellular metabolic pathways and enzymatic reactions (oxygen transport, electron transport, DNA synthesis, etc.). Iron does not normally exist in a free form in animals, but excess iron can catalyze the conversion of hydrogen peroxide into free radicals, via the Fenton reaction[1,2]. This can damage the cellu...

Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) is common and carries a poor prognosis. Hemodynamic and inflammatory factors and the release of labile iron, contributing to oxidation from reactive oxygen species are among the major determinants of cardiac surgery-associated AKI. The diagnosis of AKI is typically delayed because of the limitations of currently used clinical biomarkers indic...

The liver is the main storage site for iron in the body. Excess accumulation of iron in the liver has been well-documented in two human diseases, hereditary hemochromatosis and dietary iron overload in the African. Hepatic iron overload in these conditions often results in fibrosis and cirrhosis and may be complicated by the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Malignant transformation usua...

This study was undertaken in order to examine whether any connection existed between the amounts of iron in forage and the sporadic occurrence of scrapie observed in certain parts of Iceland. As iron and manganese are considered antagonistic in plants, calculation of the Fe/Mn ratios was also included by using results from Mn determination earlier performed in the same samples. Forage samples (...