Role of the reticuloendothelial system in the anaemia of rheumatoid arthritis. A study using the ⁵⁹Fe labelled dextran model

The reticuloendothelial handling of iron in rheumatoid arthritis was studied using ⁵⁹Fe labelled dextran. Rheumatoid patients with anemia of chronic inflammation showed excessive uptake of iron into the liver with little subsequent mobilization. One rheumatoid patient, who was also iron deficient, was able to mobilize his hepatic iron stores normally. The ability to incorporate into circulating erythrocytes iron which has been stored in the reticuloendothelial system, was closely correlated with its subsequent mobilization from the liver.