Liver Iron and Desferrioxamine‐Induced Urinary Iron Excretion

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The desferrioxamine (DF)‐induced urinary iron excretion was measured in subjects in whom surgical biopsy specimens were used to determine liver non‐haemin iron. A very high correlation was observed between the increase of the urinary iron excretion after administration of DF on the one hand and the concentration of total non‐haemin, ferritin, and haemosiderin iron of the liver on the other. The studies were made in 10 female and 18 male subjects. Most subjects were considered normal with respect to liver function and iron state. Two male subjects with portal liver cirrhosis fell outside the normal relationship liver iron/urinary iron. The findings are discussed with special reference to the possible use of DF to quantitate iron stores.