Natural Iron Isotope Variations in Human Blood

15 March 2002

journal article
research article
Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science

Vol. 295 (5562) , 2065-2066
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1069389

Abstract

Isotopic analysis of human blood and liver and muscle tissue indicates that each individual bears a long-term iron (Fe) isotope signature in the blood. Blood and tissue differ slightly in isotopic composition and are depleted by up to 2.6 per mil in ⁵⁶Fe relative to ⁵⁴Fe when compared to dietary Fe. The⁵⁶Fe/⁵⁴Fe isotope ratio in the blood of males is, on average, lower by 0.3 per mil than that of females. These results suggest that Fe isotope effects in the blood reflect differences in intestinal Fe absorption between individuals and genotypes.

Keywords

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