Iron stores in normal men and male blood donors. As measured by desferrioxamine and quantitative phlebotomy.

Abstract

Abstract Iron stores available for hemoglobin synthesis have been determined in 11 male healthy volunteers and in 14 male blood donor volunteers by means of quantitative phlebotomy. The mobilizable iron stores in normal men averaged 750 mg with a range of 180–1 350 mg. The blood donors had significantly lower values with a mean of 110 mg and a range of 0–250 mg. The desferrioxamine (DF)‐induced urinary iron excretion was found to be closely related to the available iron stores. The DF test could separate groups with different size of the iron stores. In subjects with iron deficiency and anemia the DF‐induced urinary iron excretion was significantly lower than that of a group with depleted iron stores but no anemia. This indicates that DF derives a fraction of its iron from other sources than the iron stores. During reduction of the iron stores by phlebotomy there was a successive decrease in the urinary iron excretion induced by DF in most subjects studied. A diminution of the mean cell volume and Hb content of the red cells did not occur until the iron stores were almost depleted.