TABLE 3.

Spearman partial correlation coefficients between biomarkers of body iron stores and inflammatory markers and dietary intake of iron among US women¹

Variable	sTfR:ferritin ratio	Ferritin	sTfR
Dietary intake
Total iron intake, mg/d	−0.05	0.10*	0.11*
Heme iron intake, mg/d	−0.10*	0.12*	0.01
Red meat intake, g/d	−0.16*	0.16*	−0.05
Biomarker2
CRP, mg/L	0.01	0.01	0.08
ICAM-1, μg/L	0.02	0.02	0.16*
VCAM-1, μg/L	0.12*	−0.08	0.20*
IL-6, ng/L	0.05	−0.01	0.12*
E-selectin, μg/L	−0.08	0.14*	0.14*
sTfR:ferritin ratio	1.0	—	—
Ferritin, μg/L	−0.95*	1.0	—
sTfR, mg/L	0.43*	−0.17*	1.0

¹Among controls only. n = 483 unless otherwise indicated. Spearman partial correlation coefficients are controlled for age, smoking (never, past, current) and fasting status (yes, no), postmenopausal status (yes, no), postmenopausal hormone use (never, past, current), BMI (<25, 25–29, ≥30 kg/m²), history of hypertension (presence, absence), history of hypercholesterolemia (presence, absence), and history of diabetes (presence, absence), and assay wave. For correlations of dietary iron or red meat intake, total energy intake (MJ) was further adjusted. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01.

²n = 473 for CRP, 477 for ICAM-1, 475 for VCAM-1, 459 for IL-6, and 477 for E-selectin.