title: Nontransferrin-bound iron in serum of patients receiving bone marrow transplants.
abstract: Nontransferrin-bound iron (NTBI) and other parameters of iron status were measured in 40 patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) prior to conditioning therapy (between day -10 and -7), at the time of BMT (day 0), and 2 weeks later (day + 14). Serum iron and transferrin saturation values were normal before conditioning therapy. At day 0 serum iron values were high and median transferrin saturation was 98% (changes in the values of both serum iron and transferrin saturation, p < .0001). Transferrin saturation values were still elevated 2 weeks posttransplant (day +14 vs. baseline values, p = .0001). Starting at low NTBI levels pretransplant (median 0.4 micromol/l, range 0-4.2 micromol/l, controls: < or = 0.4 micromol/l), all patients revealed high levels on day 0 (median 4.0 micromol/l, range 1.9-6.9 micromol/l, p < .0001) and 2 weeks posttransplant (median 2.7 micromol/l, range 0-6.2 micromol/l, p < .0001). These observations indicate that the plasma iron pool in patients undergoing BMT increases to a level at which the normal ability to sequestrate iron becomes exhausted and considerable amounts of NTBI appear in serum. This "free" form of iron can mediate the production of reactive oxygen species and may cause organ toxicity in the early posttransplantation period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dürken
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knobel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Finckh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrnring
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dresow
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kohlschütter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stockschläder
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kohlschütter
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zander
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011485:Protein Binding; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014168:Transferrin; D007501:Iron