Iron Compartmentalisation and Vascular Endothelial Cell Dysfunction

Iron is essential for life, but its safe use by the body depends on it being kept within tightly controlled compartments. When this compartmentalisation is disrupted-through haemolysis, saturation of scavenger proteins, or dysregulation of the hepcidin-ferroportin axis-damaging iron species accumulate in the circulation and within vascular cells, with potentially serious consequences for endothelial function. This review explores the mechanisms by which iron dysregulation compromises vascular endothelial cell biology across a range of disease states, including haemolytic anaemias, atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, extracorporeal circulatory support, and iatrogenic iron loading. Common pathological themes emerge: depletion of nitric oxide bioavailability, oxidative stress, endothelial activation, and in chronic settings, vascular remodelling. The review subsequently focuses in depth on the pulmonary vasculature, where dysregulated iron compartmentalisation has emerged as a key contributor to the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. Here, iron-driven mitochondrial dysfunction, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and iron-dependent lipid peroxidation via ferroptosis are discussed as mechanistic drivers of pulmonary vascular remodelling. The therapeutic implications of targeting iron handling in pulmonary hypertension are considered, including modulation of the hepcidin-ferroportin axis. Together, the evidence presented highlights disordered iron compartmentalisation as a unifying pathological thread across vascular disease and a compelling target for intervention.