Iron Homeostasis and Ferritin in Sepsis-Associated Kidney Injury

Sepsis associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is a common clinical syndrome that occurs among hospitalized patients and significantly impacts mortality. Furthermore, survival after sepsis is intricately dependent on recovery of kidney function. In this review, we discuss the role of iron imbalance in mediating the pathogenic events during sepsis. Intracellular ferritin serves as a repository for iron and prevents iron-mediated injury and may limit the availability of iron to pathogens. Circulating levels of ferritin also increase during sepsis and often correlate with severity of sepsis. Herein, we examine preclinical and clinical data and discuss recent findings that suggest immunomodulatory roles for ferritin. We also discuss the possible mechanistic roles for ferritin in mitigating the pathogenic sequelae of sepsis and highlight current gaps in knowledge.