title: Iron overload and psychiatric illness.
abstract: Seven patients with varying psychiatric disorders were found to have iron overload as manifested by abnormal serum ferritin, transferrin saturation index (TSI), or excessive urinary iron. All possible sources of secondary iron overload were ruled out. The patients were treated with the specific iron chelator, deferoxamine, given IM for seven to 22 weeks which resulted in significant clinical improvements. These cases indicate a need to be aware that disordered iron metabolism is a somatic cause of psychiatric illness and that there is clinical improvement upon lowering elevated iron levels in patients with iron overload.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cutler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003704:Dementia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005221:Fatigue / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D033863:Transferrin-Binding Proteins
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D033863:Transferrin-Binding Proteins; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D003676:Deferoxamine