Table of Contents

1. The Distribution of Iron in Nature.- The basic physical, chemical, and biochemical properties of iron.- 2. Biochemical Evolution of the Heme-Type Enzymes.- 3. The Biological Significance of Iron-Containing Compounds.- 4. Distribution and Function of the Iron-Containing Complexes of the Human Organism.- Heme iron compounds.- Storage iron.- Transport iron.- Other non-heme iron compounds.- 5. Dietary Iron.- Iron intake.- 6. Iron Absorption.- Factors influencing iron absorption.- The control of iron absorption.- Measurement of iron absorption.- 7. Iron Transport.- Plasma iron.- Transferrin.- 8. Storage Iron.- Ferritin and hemosiderin.- Deposition and mobilization of iron.- Quantitative aspects of iron stores.- Clinical methods used for the estimation of available iron stores.- 9. Iron Loss and Iron Requirement.- Iron loss in women.- Iron requirements for newborns, infants, and children.- 10. Erythropoiesis.- 11. Hemoglobin Synthesis.- Biosynthesis of heme.- Biosynthesis of globin.- 12. Red Cell Destruction.- 13. Hemoglobin Catabolism.- 14. Ferrokinetics.- Survey.- Plasma iron clearance and plasma iron transport rate.- Incorporation of radioiron into the erythroblasts and reticulocytes. Iron utilization in the course of red cell production. Effective erythropoiesis.- Distribution of iron among the bone marrow, liver, and spleen.- 15. Erythrokinetics.- Red cell production.- Red cell destruction.- 16. Cyhemical Stains and Microscopy.- Siderocytes.- Sideroblasts.- Sideromacrophages.- 17. Electron Microscopic Investigations.- Ferritin.- Hemosiderin.- Erythrophagocytosis.- Iron transport.- Rhopheocytosis.- Sideroblasts and siderocytes.- 18. Iron Deficiency.- Incidence.- The clinical picture of iron deficiency.- Laboratory findings.- Ferrokinetics.- The diagnosis of iron deficiency.- Differential diagnosis of iron deficiency.- Etiology and pathogenesis of iron deficiency.- Therapy of iron deficiency.- Acute iron intoxication.- 19. Anemia of Infection.- Differential diagnosis.- Treatment.- 20. Anemia of Thermal Injury.- Development, type, and course of the anemia of thermal injury.- Therapy.- 21. Protein-Deficiency Anemia.- Vitamin E deficiency.- 22. Pernicious Anemia.- 23. Hemolytic Anemias.- 24. Refractory Hypochromic Anemias.- The sideroblastic anemias.- Pyridoxine-responsive anemias.- The disturbance of heme synthesis in thalassemia.- Pathological heme synthesis associated with lead and other toxic substances.- Sideroblastic anemias arising in connection with anti-tuberculous drugs.- Shahidi-Nathan-Diamond anemia.- Fanconi’s anemia.- Genetically determined microcytic hypochromic anemias.- 25. Disturbed Iron Metabolism in Acute Radiation Injury.- 26. Iron Metabolism in Polycythemia Vera and Secondary Polycythemias.- 27. Iron Overload.- Idiopathic hemochromatosis (Iron storage disease).- Secondary hemochromatosis associated with cirrhosis of the liver.- Congenital atransferrinemia.- Congenital (familial) hypersiderosis.- Nutritional siderosis — Bantu siderosis 360 Siderosis developing in refractory anemias associated with ineffective erythropoiesis.- Transfusional siderosis.- Renal hemosiderosis.- Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis.- Goodpasture syndrome.- Author Index.