Iron Chelator or Iron Supplement Consumption in COVID-19? The Role of Iron with Severity Infection

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Alireza Bastin1, Hamidreza Shiri1, Sareh Zanganeh2

  • 1Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.

Biological Trace Element Research
|November 26, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study found that elevated ferritin levels significantly increase the risk of severe COVID-19, while lower iron (Fe) levels are associated with milder disease. Measuring these iron markers aids in diagnosis and severity assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Iron is a vital trace element crucial for viral replication and host immune function.
  • The precise role of iron in determining COVID-19 severity remains incompletely understood.
  • Understanding iron's impact is key to developing targeted therapeutic strategies for COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between iron profiles and the severity of COVID-19.
  • To determine the diagnostic and prognostic value of iron-related markers in COVID-19 patients.
  • To explore potential therapeutic implications related to iron metabolism in COVID-19.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study was conducted involving 147 COVID-19 positive patients and 39 healthy controls.
  • Iron profiles, including ferritin and iron (Fe) levels, were measured alongside hematological parameters.
  • Statistical analyses, including odds ratio calculations and AUC analysis, were performed to assess associations.

Main Results:

  • Patients exhibited decreased hemoglobin (Hb), iron (Fe), and saturated transferrin, but increased ferritin compared to controls.
  • Elevated ferritin levels significantly augmented the odds ratio for moderate, severe, and critical COVID-19.
  • Decreased iron (Fe) levels were associated with reduced odds ratios across all disease severity groups.

Conclusions:

  • Iron (Fe) and ferritin levels are valuable biomarkers for diagnosing COVID-19 and predicting its severity.
  • The findings suggest that iron chelation therapy, aimed at reducing iron levels, could be a potential therapeutic strategy.
  • Further research into iron metabolism modulation may offer new avenues for managing severe COVID-19.

Keywords:
COVID-19Disease severityFeFerritinIron chelator

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