Influence of latent iron deficiency on generation of oxygen species in polymorphonuclear leucocytes.

Measurement of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) was employed to estimate the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in patients with latent iron deficiency. There were no differences in the resting value of PMN CL among 20 patients with iron deficient erythropoiesis (2.92 + 0.38 number of pulses) and 20 normal controls (3.07 + 0.52; P greater than 0.05), but a significant decrease of peak value of PMN CL was observed in patients (45.82 + 7.41) as compared with controls (76.08 + 10.12; P less than 0.01). CL production by PMN in 6 patients with storage iron depletion was similar to that of 6 healthy controls. As a good correlation was found between the peak value of PMN CL and free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) level, increase of FEP could serve as a clinical indicator in the evaluation of decrease of ROS generation in PMN of patients with iron deficiency. Oral iron supplementation could effectively improve the impaired PMN ROS generation.