Iron homeostasis

Abstract

In this paper we described the homeostasis of elementary iron: its absorption, utilization, storage and elimination. Special attention was paid to new insights into the regulatory mechanisams involved in its homestasis, especially the role of recently discovered hormone hepcidin, which is synthesized in the liver. Since it is reckoned that hepcidin has a central role in the systemic regulation of iron metabolism, the influences of various factors and conditions on the hepatic synthesis of hepcidin were delineated. Furthermore, we briefly described the most common disorders of iron homeostasis and their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of some diseases.

U radu je opisan promet gvožđa u organizmu: unošenje, iskorišćavanje, deponovanje i eliminacija. Posebna pažnja posvećena je novim saznanjima o regulaciji prometa tog elementa neophodnog za život. U tom smislu je istaknut, relativno skoro otkriven, hormon hepcidin koji sintetišu hepatociti. Smatra se da hepcidin zauzima centralno mesto u sistemskoj regulaciji metabolizma gvožđa i prikazan je uticaj različitih faktora i stanja na sintezu hepcidina u jetri. Ukratko su opisani i najčešći poremećaji homeostaze gvožđa i njegova eventualna uloga u patogenezi nekih oboljenja.