Iron and Iron Metabolism

Iron is an essential element for almost all living organisms except some bacteria. A great number of new articles related to the iron metabolism have been published in recent years explaining new findings. Hepsidine, a peptide hormon, that is recently found, regulates iron methabolism by effecting iron absorbsion from gut, secreting iron from hepatic store and flows iron from macrophages. Hepsidin blockes to effluxe iron from cells by bounding to ferroportin and by inducing ferroportin destruction. The syntesis of hepsidin increases with rising serum iron and decreases at anemic or hypoxic conditions. In addition to that, the iron absorbtion from gut is regulated by IRP/IRE system. Systemic regulation of iron and the uptake of iron by duodenal enterocytes depend on apical DMPT1 level of which also is regulated by IRP/IRE system. (Jo-ur-nal of Cur-rent Pe-di-at-rics 2012; 10: 65-9)