Capturing the onset of the common cold and its effects on iron absorption.
Hypoferremia is a well-known response to infections and inflammatory disorders. It seems to be managed by the key mediator of iron kinetics, hepcidin. There are several studies on induced-acute phase reactions. However, to our best knowledge there are no previous published reports on the outbreak of a common cold and its initial effect on iron kinetics. The objective of this case report is to describe such an observation. From an apparently healthy state in the morning we observed, in a 28-year-old male, every hour for 6 h the outbreak of a common cold and the modulations in the levels of serum iron (S-Fe) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Despite a 100 mg oral iron loading there was a substantial reduction in S-Fe, which seemed to precede the IL-6 peak. Interestingly, this observed succession is in conflict with the proposed infection chain of order in which IL-6 stimulates hepcidin induction.
Hoppe
M
M
Department of Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Internal Medicine, the Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. Michael.Hoppe@nutrition.gu.se
Hulthén
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D003139:Common Cold / Q000097:blood*; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007501:Iron