Abstract
The study of neutrophil (PMN) functions in children with iron deficiency (ID) has yielded controversial results, partly because of the uncontrollable association of other nutritional deficiencies with that condition. We have studied the effect of isolated iron deficiency on in vivo PMN migration in six rats fed an iron-poor diet until 70 days post-weaning. The same diet was fed to 12 control animals, either as paired feedings (PF) or ad libitum feedings (AL); these controls were made iron sufficient with intramuscular iron dextran at weaning. Seventy days post-weaning weights (mean ± SE, in g) were essentially identical in ID (205 ± 13), PF (188 ± 6), and AL (225 ± 15) rats. Anemia was evident in ID rats (Hb. 9.7 ± 0.7 g/dl, MCV 47 ± 1.5 fl.) but not present in PF or AL controls (Hb. 17 ± 1.7 and 14.9 ± 0.3, MCV 54 ± 1.3 and 57 ± 1.3 respectively). PMN migration into the peritoneal cavity was induced by 18-hour stimulation with Na caseinate and expressed as total numbers of PMNS × 105/100 g body weight. PMN migration was significantly lower in ID animals (49.3 ± 6.2) than in PF (125 ± 28) and AL (111 ± 18) animals (P < 0.025). In post-weaning rats, isolated iron deficiency is associated with the development of a pronounced decrease in PMN migration, in vivo. This decrease might contribute to the increased tendency toward infections observed in some ID subjects.
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