Assessment of iron availability using stable54Fe

Abstract

This paper describes a method of quantitatively assaying the bioavailability of orally administered iron in order to promote haemoglobin synthesis in iron deficiency anaemia. The non-radioactive tracer substance 54Fe was employed. An experimental iron deficiency model was tested in 18 healthy male volunteers. The trial design made it possible to assess intestinal absorption and efficacy of iron substitution. The iron deficiency was experimentally induced by weekly phlebotomy. Two commercially available iron preparations with different rates of iron release were investigated at a dosage of 150 and 160 mg Fe2+ daily, respectively. In the first seven days of treatment, both preparations were administered in 54Fe-labelled form. Afterwards, iron substitution was given with the commercially available preparations. Measurements were made of erythrocyte utilization of 54Fe and plasma iron tolerance curves at the beginning of the periods in which the 54Fe-labelled product and the commercially available preparation were administered, and of haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentration curves over three months. The mean utilization of the iron administered was virtually identical for the two preparations (23 and 22%, respectively). Likewise, there was no difference with respect to the average daily increase in haemoglobin concentration in the blood (1.5 g 1-1). There was also no significant difference with respect to serum ferritin concentration curves. In contrast, the two preparations differed markedly with respect to the plasma iron tolerance curves. This suggests that evaluation of plasma iron tolerance curves alone is not suitable for comparative assessment of the therapeutic value of orally administered iron preparations.