Labile iron in parenteral iron formulations and its potential for generating plasma nontransferrin-bound iron in dialysis patients

Background Labile plasma iron (LPI) associated with iron supplementation has been implicated in complications found in dialysis patients. As LPI can potentially catalyse oxygen radical generation, we determined the presence of labile iron in the parenteral preparations and the frequency of occurrence of LPI in dialysis patients. Design The capacity to donate iron to apotransferrin (apo-) or to the chelator desferrioxamine (DFO) was measured with fluorescein-Tf (Fl-Tf) and Fl-DFO, respectively. Those probes undergo quenching upon binding to iron. Iron-catalysed generation of oxidant species was determined with dihydrorhodamine. Plasma nontransferrin-bound iron (NTBI), here termed LPI, was determined by mobilization of iron from low-affinity binding sites with oxalate, followed by its quantification with Fl-Tf in the presence of Ga(III). Results Normal individuals and most (80%) dialysis patients, analysed at least 1 week after iron supplementation showed no detectable (<0.2 mu m) LPI. However, approximate to 20% of the patients (n = 71) showed significant LPI levels (>0.2 mum), in some cases weeks after iron administration. LPI levels correlated best (r(2) = 0.9) with Tf saturation. The iron preparations contained 2-6% low molecular weight and redox-active iron, most of which is chelated by Tf. Conclusions Parenteral iron formulations contain a small but significant fraction of redox-active iron, most of which is scavenged by apo-Tf within <1 h. Therefore, oxidant stress associated with iron infusion is likely to be transient. The bulk of the polymeric iron is apparently inaccessible to apo-Tf. Although LPI might return to normal within 2 h of intravenous iron infusion, the long-term persistence of low-level LPI in up to 20% of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients indicates that complete clearance of the intravenous iron may be more protracted than originally estimated.