Abstract
Background & AimsHepatic iron is increased in dysmetabolic iron overload syndrome (DIOS). Whether this reflects elevated body iron stores is still debated. The study was aimed at assessing body iron stores in DIOS patients by calculating the amount of mobilized iron (AMI).MethodsWe conducted a prospective case-control study comparing AMI in 12 DIOS patients and 12 overweight normoferritinemic subjects matched on BMI and age. All participants were phlebotomized until serum ferritin dropped ≤ 50μg/L.ResultsThe two groups were comparable with respect to metabolic abnormalities and differed according to serum ferritin levels only. AMI was significantly (p<0.0001) higher in DIOS (2.5g±0.7) than in controls (0.8g±0.3). No side effects were related to phlebotomies.
Highlights
The dysmetabolic iron overload syndrome (DIOS)—initially coined as insulin resistanceassociated hepatic iron overload by Mendler et al [1]—corresponds to mild hepatic iron excess in the context of various features of the metabolic syndrome [2,3]
Because it was not ethical to proceed to phlebotomies in subjects with low body iron stores, overweight controls with serum ferritin levels < 100 μg/l were not included
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was not performed in controls because normal ferritin levels are considered sufficient to rule out hepatic iron excess
Summary
The dysmetabolic iron overload syndrome (DIOS)—initially coined as insulin resistanceassociated hepatic iron overload by Mendler et al [1]—corresponds to mild hepatic iron excess in the context of various features of the metabolic syndrome [2,3]. It is usually diagnosed in middle-aged males presenting with moderate hyperferritinemia (< 1500 ng/ml), normal transferrin saturation, and, in half of the cases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Hepatic iron is increased in dysmetabolic iron overload syndrome (DIOS) Whether this reflects elevated body iron stores is still debated. The study was aimed at assessing body iron stores in DIOS patients by calculating the amount of mobilized iron (AMI)
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