Pharmacological Treatment of Anemia - KMS Flashcards
(126 cards)
How much elemental Fe is absorbed each day from diet?
0.5-1 mg absorbed/day from 10-15 mg elemental iron in the average diet
Where is Fe absorbed in the GI tract?
primarily in the duodenum and proximal jejunum
How can Fe absorption in the GI tract increase?
Increases in response to low iron stores or increased iron requirements
What form of Fe can be absorbed completely and without change to it?
Heme iron in hemoglobin and myoglobin
can be absorbed intact without first having to be dissociated into elemental iron (e.g., iron in meat protein)
Heme Fe can be absorbed intact, but how is nonheme Fe absorbed?
Nonheme iron must be reduced by ferroreductase to ferrous iron (Fe2+) before absorption can occur
What happens to absorbed Fe when Fe stores are high, or requirements are low?
When iron stores are high and/or iron requirements are low,
absorbed iron is diverted into ferritin in the intestinal epithelial mucosal cells for storage
What happens to absorbed Fe when stores are low or requirements are high?
When iron stores are low and/or iron requirements are high,
absorbed iron is immediately transported from the mucosal cells to the bone marrow to support hemoglobin production
What transports Fe in plasma?
Transferrin
– a β-globulin that binds two molecules of ferric iron (Fe3+) and transports iron in the plasma

Fe is shuttled around by transferrin, but how does it get into RBCs?
The transferrin-iron complex enters maturing erythroid cells by binding to integral membrane glycoprotein receptors (transferrin receptors) and undergoing receptor-mediated endocytosis
The ferric iron is released in endosomes, reduced to ferrous iron, transported by the divalent metal transporter (DMT1) into the cell, and enters the hemoglobin synthesis pathway or is stored as ferritin
What can increase the number of transferrin receptors on developing erythroid cells?
Increased erythropoiesis
What is associated with an increased conc. of serum transferrin?
Iron store depletion and iron deficiency anemia are associated with an increased concentration of serum transferrin
What form is iron stored as? Where?
almost always stored as ferritin (ferritin is the complex of iron and apo-ferritin, a transferrin-like protein that binds ferrous iron for storage)
stored in intestinal mucosal cells, in macrophages in the liver, spleen, and bone, and in parenchymal liver cells
How do levels of free Fe change Fe storage?
Low levels of free iron inhibit apoferritin synthesis and shifts the balance of iron binding toward transferrin
High levels of free iron stimulate production of apoferritin to reduce iron toxicity
How is Fe eliminated?
There is no specific mechanism for iron excretion
Iron balance is achieved by changing intestinal absorption and storage of iron in response to the body’s needs
What is the clinical indication for Fe preparations?
The only clinical indication for the use of iron preparations is the treatment or prevention of iron deficiency anemia
What type of Fe salts should be used for oral Fe therapy?
Only ferrous salts should be used because ferrous iron is most efficiently absorbed
(e.g., ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous fumarate)
How much oral Fe is absorbed?
Roughly 25% of oral iron given as ferrous salt can be absorbed
How does oral absorption of oral Fe therapy affect dosing? What is the typical dose?
50-100 mg of iron can be incorporated into hemoglobin daily in an iron-deficient individual; 200-400 mg iron/day is a typical dose
How should oral iron therapy be taken?
Should be taken with water or juice on an empty stomach; may be administered with food to prevent irritation
What are some ADRs with PO Fe therapy?
Adverse effects include
nausea,
epigastric discomfort,
abdominal cramps,
constipation,
black stools, and
diarrhea (dose related; reduced if taken with or immediately after meals)
How can GI discomfort be reduced with PO Fe therapy?
Switching to a different ferrous salt preparation may reduce GI discomfort
Who is a candidate for parenteral Fe therapy?
Reserved for patients with documented iron deficiency who are unable to tolerate or absorb oral iron
and for patients with extensive chronic anemia who cannot be maintained with oral iron alone
(e.g., patients with advanced chronic renal disease requiring hemodialysis and treatment with erythropoietin, small bowel resection, inflammatory bowel disease involving the proximal small bowel, or malabsorption syndromes)
How are parenteral forms of Fe formulated?
All parenteral forms of iron are formulated as colloid containing particles with a core of iron oxyhydroxide surrounded by a core of carbohydrate
so that iron is released slowly from the stable colloid particle after infusion
(avoids the severe toxicity of free ferric iron upon administration)
Why is parenteral administration of Fe favored sometimes?
bypasses iron storage regulatory mechanisms of the intestine and can deliver more iron than can safely be stored;
monitoring iron storage levels helps to avoid serious toxicity of iron overload