[The role of iron as a deficient element]

Iron is an essential trace element. In its heme-form as well as in its non heme-form it is a part of enzymes and hemoproteins. For a safe and adequate dietary intake 10-18 mg of iron are recommended daily. Frequently, this quantity is not available: approximately 20% of the world population is iron-deficient. In this state the enteral transfer capacity for toxic metals, e.g., Cd and Pb, is increased and the adaptation to physical strain as well as the immunological responses are depressed. Alterations of body iron-stores are almost exclusively balanced by adequate adaptation of the enteral iron-transfer capacity. The mechanism of this adaptation process can neither be satisfactorily explained by the "mucosal block hypothesis", nor by the "mucosal transferrin hypothesis". When the time-course of iron storage and its relation to intestinal iron transfer was investigated after i.v. iron administration to iron-deficient rats, the results indicated that the process of adaptation is located in the intestinal mucosa. Intestinal iron loading is decreased in iron deficiency, whereas the iron transfer into the organism is increased. Further investigation is necessary to find out by which mechanism the iron manages to bypass existing mucosal storage capacity in this situation. The geographical distribution of iron deficiency is influenced by a variety of local factors. Still, the paramount causes of iron-deficiency are unbalanced iron losses and the lack of bioavailable iron in the diet. The bioavailability of non heme iron is influenced by the composition of the diet. The effect of promotors of iron absorption, such as meat, amino acids, polycarbonic acids and ascorbate is opposed by the influence of inhibitors, such as bran, soya products, vegetables and egg-dishes. Iron losses are mainly due to blood losses. Thus, the wide distribution of hookworm diseases in tropical areas contributes significantly to the endemic iron-deficiency in these regions. A more physiological loss of iron is caused by menstruation and pregnancy. In small infants the iron-demand of the organism is increased by rapid growth, which in turn increases the intestinal iron transfer. An increased iron-demand can be balanced by an iron-supplemented diet or by pharmaceutical iron compounds. Acute intoxications can be caused by an overdose of such preparations. The pathophysiology and symptoms of acute iron intoxication are summarized. Their frequency has markedly decreased since "childproof" packaging has been introduced for iron-preparations. To meet the increased iron demand of young children, commercial infant formulas are frequently fortified with iron, preferentially with heme-iron.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)