Figure 2.

Schematic representation of systemic iron regulation. Physiologically, increased plasma iron leads to an increased synthesis of the iron hormone hepcidin, causing in turn decreased activity of the iron export protein Ferroportin both at the digestive and splenic levels, which leads to compensatory decreased plasma iron. The reverse mechanism occurs in case of physiological iron deficiency. Please note that, in haemochromatosis, the body behaves as if it was chronically iron deficient.