Nature of anaemia in rheumatoid arthritis. VII. Storage of iron in rheumatoid disease.

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Abstract
Tests of iron storage disorder were carried out on 8 controls and 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The simple desferrioxamine test and the differential ferrioxamine test failed to demonstrate increased iron stores. Evidence of increased storage was only found immediately after courses of intravenous iron. The possible limitations of these tests as estimates of iron storage in rheumatoid arthritis are outlined. The pattern of ferrioxamine excretion in rheumatoid patients showed some delay compared with controls after 6 hr., but the excretions were normal after 48 hr. The pattern of urinary excretion of iron after prolonged intramuscular injections of desferrioxamine in rheumatoid patients suggested the presence of considerable iron stores. The results are discussed in the light of present knowledge of iron metabolism in rheumatoid arthritis.
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