Iron in Infection and Immunity

Abstract

There are two ways in which iron may influence the course of infection. Firstly, the need for most microorganisms to acquire iron, coupled with a lack of readily available iron in normal body tissues, means that any abnormality (such as iron overload) which makes iron unusually available may predispose to infection. On the other hand, iron is required for various immunological functions and these may be impaired in iron deficiency. The potential role of iron in these activities is summarized in Table 10.1.