Iron Homeostasis During Pregnancy: Maternal, Placental, and Fetal Regulatory Mechanisms

Abstract

Pregnancy entails a large negative balance of iron, an essential micronutrient. During pregnancy, iron requirements increase substantially to support both maternal red blood cell expansion and the development of the placenta and fetus. As insufficient iron has long been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, universal iron supplementation is common practice before and during pregnancy. However, in high-resource countries with iron fortification of staple foods and increased red meat consumption, the effects of too much iron supplementation during pregnancy have become a concern because iron excess has also been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this review, we address physiologic iron homeostasis of the mother, placenta, and fetus and discuss perturbations in iron homeostasis that result in pathological pregnancy. As many mechanistic regulatory systems have been deduced from animal models, we also discuss the principles learned from these models and how these may apply to human pregnancy. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Nutrition, Volume 43 is August 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Multicomponent comprehensive confirms that erythroferrone is a molecular biomarker of pan-cancer

“…However, in vitro studies have indicated that EPO does not inhibit the release of ferritin from hepatocytes [ 3 ], implying the existence of an intermediary EPO reactive ferritin inhibitor. The transcript Fam132b, which has been renamed Erfe, is induced and maintains high expression for 24–48 h just before ferritin inhibition, consistent with the evidence that erythropoietic activity affects ferritin expression [ [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] ]. While erythroferrone protein has been previously been categorized as C1q/tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related protein 15 (CTRP15) and myonectin [ 8 ], its novel primary function in controlling ferritin and iron homeostasis is noteworthy.…”

“…Having previously been categorized as C1q/TNF-related protein 15 (CTRP15), and myonectin [ 8 ], erythroferrone (ERFE), and Family32b before renaming [ [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] ], a significant role in regulating ferritin and iron homeostasis has recently been demonstrated. Many recent studies have clarified its relationship with atherosclerosis, myocardial fibrosis, insulin resistance, ulcerative colitis, and dyslipidemia [ [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] ].…”

Comparison of Hemopoietic Biochemical Parameters in the First, Second, and Third Trimester of Pregnant Females Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital of Western Rajasthan

“…Indeed, the observed variations in iron-related parameters across trimesters could be attributed to the remarkable physiological demand for iron during pregnancy [ 15 ]. The escalating iron requirement is intricately linked to gestational age, surging from 0.8 mg/day in early pregnancy to a substantial 7.5 mg/day in late pregnancy.…”

Iron Supplementation of Pregnant Sows to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia in Piglets: A Procedure of Questionable Effectiveness

“…A very interesting aspect of the research is reexamining the placenta as a unique player in the iron transfer from the pregnant female to fetuses. This issue of placental iron transport is being raised in an increasing number of studies, yet most have been in mice and may not include differences in the architecture of the mouse and pig placentae [19,79].…”