Skip to main content
PMC home page
Gut logoLink to Gut
. 1971 Dec;12(12):1011–1014. doi: 10.1136/gut.12.12.1011

Relationship of hepatic iron concentration to histochemical grading and to total chelatable body iron in conditions associated with iron overload

R J Walker, J P G Miller, I W Dymock, K B Shilkin, Roger Williams
PMCID: PMC1411991  PMID: 5157130

Abstract

A simple method based on atomic absorption spectrophotometry and using protein concentration as the reference standard was used for measuring the total tissue iron concentration in needle liver biopsy specimens from 47 patients with varying levels of body iron stores. The values obtained showed a close correlation over a wide range with measurements of total chelatable body iron stores. A comparison with the histochemical assessment of iron deposition showed that only those with grades 3 and 4 had significant increases in iron concentration which is in accord with other clinical observations in such patients. A liver biopsy can thus be of value in the quantitative determination of total body iron overload as well as in the diagnosis of underlying liver disease.

Full text

PDF
1011

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barry M., Cartei G., Sherlock S. Quantitative measurement of iron stores with diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid. Gut. 1970 Nov;11(11):891–898. doi: 10.1136/gut.11.11.891. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barry M., Sherlock S. Measurement of liver-iron concentration in needle-biopsy specimens. Lancet. 1971 Jan 16;1(7690):100–103. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(71)90838-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dymock I. W., Miller J. P., Godfrey B. E., Williams R. Iron overload in haemochromatosis. Proc R Soc Med. 1970 Dec;63(12):1227–1230. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FIELDING J. DIFFERENTIAL FERRIOXAMINE TEST FOR MEASURING CHELATABLE BODY IRON. J Clin Pathol. 1965 Jan;18:88–97. doi: 10.1136/jcp.18.1.88. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Lundin P., Lundvall O., Weinfeld A. Iron storage in alcoholic fatty liver. Acta Med Scand. 1971 Jun;189(6):541–546. doi: 10.1111/j.0954-6820.1971.tb04419.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Rake M. O., Ansell I. D., Murray-Lyon I. M., Williams R. Improved liver-biopsy needle. Lancet. 1969 Dec 13;2(7633):1283–1283. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)90814-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. SCHEUER P. J., WILLIAMS R., MUIR A. R. Hepatic pathology in relatives of patients with haemochromatosis. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1962 Jul;84:53–64. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Smith P. M., Lestas A. N., Miller J. P., Dymock I. W., Pitcher C. S., Williams R. The differential ferrioxamine test in the management of idiopathic haemochromatosis. Lancet. 1969 Aug 23;2(7617):402–405. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)90112-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Smith P. M., Studley F., Williams R. Assessment of body-iron stores in cirrhosis and haemochromatosis with the differential ferrioxamine test. Lancet. 1967 Jan 21;1(7482):133–136. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(67)91035-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. WILLIAMS R., SCHEUER P. J., SHERLOCK S. The inheritance of idiopathic haemochromatosis. A clinical and liver biopsy study of 16 families. Q J Med. 1962 Jul;31:249–265. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Weinfeld A., Lundin P., Lundvall O. Significance for the diagnosis of iron overload of histochemical and chemical iron in the liver of control subjects. J Clin Pathol. 1968 Jan;21(1):35–40. doi: 10.1136/jcp.21.1.35. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Gut are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES