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Setup of Capillary Electrophoresis-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS) for Quantification of Iron Redox Species (Fe(II), Fe(III))
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Setup of Capillary Electrophoresis-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS) for Quantification of Iron Redox Species (Fe(II), Fe(III))

Published on: May 4, 2020

The effect of iron status on vascular health

Leanne M Yunker1, Jillian S Parboosingh, Heather E Conradson

  • 1Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Vascular Medicine (London, England)
|August 5, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Increased iron stores, indicated by serum ferritin and hemochromatosis genotypes, do not appear to impact atherosclerosis or endothelial function in healthy individuals. This study found no link between iron levels and vascular abnormalities.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Science
  • Genetics
  • Metabolic Health

Background:

  • The link between elevated iron stores and cardiovascular disease, specifically atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction, is not fully understood.
  • Iron overload disorders, such as hemochromatosis, may influence vascular health, but evidence in healthy populations is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between hemochromatosis genotypes, serum ferritin levels, and subclinical vascular abnormalities.
  • To evaluate the impact of iron stores on carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and brachial flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in healthy men.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 907 healthy male participants from the Firefighters and their Endothelium (FATE) study were analyzed.
  • Hemochromatosis genotypes (C282Y, H63D, S65C) were determined using a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) primer extension method.
  • Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and brachial flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) were assessed via high-resolution ultrasound.

Main Results:

  • No significant relationship was observed between brachial FMD and serum ferritin levels or hemochromatosis genotype status.
  • The presence of hemochromatosis-associated genotypes or C282Y heterozygosity did not correlate with increased mean CIMT.
  • After adjusting for traditional risk factors, serum ferritin levels were not associated with mean CIMT.

Conclusions:

  • Neither serum ferritin levels nor hemochromatosis genotypes were found to be related to brachial endothelial function or carotid atherosclerosis in this cohort.
  • The study does not support the hypothesis that mild to moderately increased iron stores contribute to increased atherosclerosis risk.

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