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Arterial Iron Content Is Increased in Patients with High Plasma Ferritin Levels
Julie Bukh Madsen1, Lise Pedersen, Christina Lund Kidholm
1Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Centre for Individualized Medicine in Arterial Diseases (CIMA), Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Insights
Stored body iron correlates with iron levels in human arteries. This finding suggests a link between iron accumulation in arteries and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Biochemistry
- Medical Research
Background:
- The link between elevated stored iron and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is established.
- Limited data exists on iron concentration within human arterial tissue.
- Iron accumulation in arteries may disrupt cellular biochemical pathways, contributing to CVD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between overall body iron content and arterial tissue iron levels.
- To determine if iron accumulates in arteries proportionally to stored body iron.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed iron content in nonatherosclerotic human artery samples.
- Assessed body iron status using plasma ferritin concentration.
- Quantified tissue iron via inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy.
- Visualized iron deposits using modified Perls histological staining.
Main Results:
- Arterial tissue contains measurable levels of iron.
- Significantly higher iron content was observed in arteries from individuals with high plasma ferritin.
- Histological staining confirmed the presence of iron deposits within arterial tissue.
Conclusions:
- Arterial iron accumulation is associated with the level of stored body iron.
- Findings support the hypothesis that iron accumulates in arteries based on systemic iron stores.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the role of excess iron distribution in atherosclerosis development.
Abstract:
The association between increased amounts of stored iron and development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been recognized for many years. However, basic information on iron content in human arteries is limited. We envision that associations between body iron content and CVD are based on the accumulation of iron in the arteries, possibly leading to the dysfunction of cellular biochemical pathways. This study addresses the very fundamental question of whether there is a relation between body iron content and the level of iron accumulated in arterial tissue. The iron content in human nonatherosclerotic artery samples from patients with high and low body-iron contents estimated from the plasma ferritin concentration were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy in tissue extracts and by histological staining, using a modified Perls reaction to display iron deposits. We found that the arteries contained small but measurable levels of iron. The iron content was significantly higher in tissue from patients with high plasma ferritin (p = 0.026). Histological staining showed the presence of iron deposits. Our results suggest that iron does accumulate in arterial tissue in accordance to the level of stored body iron. Further studies are needed on the distribution of iron in excess to explain the relationship between stored iron and the development of atherosclerosis.
