Serum Iron Metabolism Variables in Clinically Healthy Persons

BACKGROUND: In healthy persons, iron acquisition, trafficking and storage are strictly regulated processes due to the lack of a physiological pathway for the excretion of excess iron from the body. The liver, the duodenum and the bone marrow are involved in the regulation of iron metabolism. MATERIAL: Subject to the testing were 60 healthy volunteers who took part in clinical trials. METHODS: Case histories, physical check-up and demographic data including people’s heights and weights, laboratory studies and tests using medical equipment. RESULTS: None of the healthy persons were reported to have shown any deviation from the reference values for the serum markers of iron metabolism tested with the exception of hepcidin. CONCLUSION: In healthy persons, there was only a positive correlation between iron level and IBC, and feedback between hepcidin serum levels and transferrin saturation.