title: Iron deficiency or anemia of inflammation? : Differential diagnosis and mechanisms of anemia of inflammation.
abstract: Iron deficiency and immune activation are the two most frequent causes of anemia, both of which are based on disturbances of iron homeostasis. Iron deficiency anemia results from a reduction of the body's iron content due to blood loss, inadequate dietary iron intake, its malabsorption, or increased iron demand. Immune activation drives a diversion of iron fluxes from the erythropoietic bone marrow, where hemoglobinization takes place, to storage sites, particularly the mononuclear phagocytes system in liver and spleen. This results in iron-limited erythropoiesis and anemia. This review summarizes current diagnostic and pathophysiological concepts of iron deficiency anemia and anemia of inflammation, as well as combined conditions, and provides a brief outlook on novel therapeutic options.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine VI, Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Rheumatology, Pneumology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. manfred.nairz@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nairz
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine VI, Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Rheumatology, Pneumology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Theurl
authors.affiliation: Medical Clinic III, Department of Oncology, Hematology and Rheumatology, University Clinic Bonn (UKB), Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine VI, Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Rheumatology, Pneumology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. guenter.weiss@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D000818:Animals; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004920:Erythropoiesis / Q000502:physiology; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006452:Hemoglobinometry; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000502:physiology; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008264:Macrophages
chemical_list: D064451:Hepcidins; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron
keywords: Anemia of chronic disease; Anemia of inflammation; Hepcidin; Iron; Macrophage