Iron metabolism in the lower respiratory tract

In summary, data provided in this review demonstrate the presence of iron and iron binding proteins in different lung compartments. Moreover, in different pulmonary diseases and/or after inhalation of toxins both the amount of iron and its distribution is modified. However, many questions about iron metabolism in the lung remain unanswered. For example, the relationship between nitric oxide and iron management in alveolar macrophages, the interaction between differently saturated transferrin molecules and alveolar surfactant during acute alveolar damage, and the role of iron in the defence against infectious agents in the lung are not fully understood. A better knowledge of these questions will aid our understanding of the pathogenesis of pulmonary diseases and will help us to develop new approaches to their treatment.