Effect of macrophage-derived factor on hypoferraemia induced by Japanese encephalitis virus in mice

Depression of serum iron following Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection was observed in mice. The hypoferraemia was associated with the accumulation of iron in reticulo-endothelial cells in the spleen. Splenectomy (compared with sham-operation) prevented the depression in serum iron concentration after JEV infection. It also prevented the rise in levels of liver iron. The effect of JEV-stimulated, splenic macrophage-derived factor (MDF) was evaluated in causing hypoferraemia. MDF produced a rapid reduction in the serum iron levels with accumulation of iron in spleen. These observations suggest that MDF plays a key role in the regulation of iron metabolism during JEV infection.