The effect of iron treatment on adhesion molecules in patients with iron deficiency anemia.

In this study, hematologic variables, iron metabolism parameters, ICAM and VCAM concentrations, and serum lipid levels from 26 female patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) where compared to those of 26 healthy female subjects, both before and after oral iron treatment (100 mg elemental iron/day for 90 days). In anemic patients, oral iron corrected, at least partially, IDA and reduced VCAM levels in 21/26 patients, although they were still higher than in control subjects. ICAM levels and lipid parameters remained unmodified. Despite its limitations (low number of patients, no other inflammatory parameter measured), this study suggest that 1) iron deficiency may induce an inflammatory status (at least at the level of the endothelium) which may be corrected by 90-day oral iron, and 2) a portion of patients (20%) might benefit from an extended oral iron therapy or, alternatively, intravenous iron administration.

– Manuel Muoz