title: [Human iron metabolism].
abstract: Iron, associated with proteins and enzymes, mainly as heminic groups and Fe/S clusters, is essential for oxygen transport and many other biological functions. Systemic iron homeostasis is essentially a closed system. There is no regulated mechanism of iron excretion, for example through the liver or kidneys: iron losses occur only through bleeding and by shedding of mucosal and skin cells. These losses are compensated for by intestinal absorption. In contrast, iron absorption is tightly regulated. Three recently identified proteins, named HFE, hepcidin and hemojuvelin, play an important role in this regulation. About 20 other proteins have been shown to play a part in iron metabolism, often through studies of genetic diseases in humans or other animals. Mitochondria play a major role in iron metabolism.
authors.affiliation: l'Académie nationale de médecine, Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire CHR, UMR 6061 CNRS Faculté de Médecine, Rennes.
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Le Gall
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jouanolle
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mosser
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: David
mesh_terms: D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D007501:Iron