Iron Homeostasis and Disorders in Dogs and Cats: A Review

Abstract

Iron is an essential element for nearly all living organisms and disruption of iron homeostasis can lead to a number of clinical manifestations. Iron is used in the formation of both hemoglobin and myoglobin, as well as numerous enzyme systems of the body. Disorders of iron in the body include iron deficiency anemia, anemia of inflammatory disease, and iron overload. This article reviews normal iron metabolism, disease syndromes of iron imbalance, diagnostic testing, and treatment of either iron deficiency or excess. Recent advances in diagnosing iron deficiency using reticulocyte indices are reviewed.

Iron status of cats with chronic kidney disease

“…13 TSAT is generally decreased in absolute iron deficiency anemia because of insufficient iron stores and is normal to decreased in anemia of inflammatory disease. 3 In these population of cats with chronic kidney disease the median TSAT was 20.2% for 7 anemic cats and 29% for 32 nonanemic cats. There is no reference range reported for cats; however, 25-45% is considered normal in human patients.…”

“…These findings are consistent with both an absolute and a functional iron deficiency. 3 Total iron binding capacity is decreased in 31.6% of cats with inflammatory disease. 8 TIBC in these population of cats with chronic kidney disease was signifi- cantly lower than these population of healthy cats supporting the presence of an inflammatory state in these animals.…”

“…3 Binding of iron to ferritin is thought to minimize the potential of iron to catalyze the formation of damaging free radicals. 7 Ferritin concentrations in human patients have good correlation with whole body iron storage and a decreased value is the single best parameter to diagnose iron deficiency without performing a bone marrow biopsy.…”

“…Another potential contributor is an absolute iron deficiency, which occurs secondary to reduced oral iron intake, decreased gastrointestinal absorption, or loss through gastrointestinal bleeding. [2][3][4] Absolute iron deficiency is defined as a reduction in bone marrow reticuloendothelial iron and in human patients is suggested by a percent transferrin saturation (TSAT) <20% and a ferritin concentration <100 ng/mL. 2 A functional iron deficiency, which occurs when there is an inability to utilize otherwise adequate body iron stores for erythropoiesis, is another potential contributor to anemia in cats with CKD.…”

Hemofilia A em um cão Dachshund: relato de caso

“…O grau de resposta à anemia depende da disponibilidade do ferro, e como na anemia hemorrágica o ferro está menos prontamente disponível na forma férrica, a resposta regenerativa observada na contagem de reticulócitos é menor, mas exceções podem ocorrer. Um pico na contagem de reticulócitos pode ser observado após uma semana do episódio hemorrágico (Tvedten, 2010;Mccown, 2011;Naigamwalla, 2012). Ambas as contagens de reticulócitos dos hemogramas do paciente confirmam o caráter regenerativo da anemia.…”