Anemia of inflammation

Elizabeta Nemeth; Tomas Ganz

doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2014.04.005

Anemia of inflammation

Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2014 Aug;28(4):671-81, vi. doi: 10.1016/j.hoc.2014.04.005. Epub 2014 May 28.

Authors

Elizabeta Nemeth¹, Tomas Ganz²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 37-055 CHS, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
² Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 37-055 CHS, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Pathology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: tganz@mednet.ucla.edu.

Abstract

Anemia of inflammation (AI, also called anemia of chronic disease) is a common, typically normocytic, normochromic anemia that is caused by an underlying inflammatory disease. It is diagnosed when serum iron concentrations are low despite adequate iron stores, as evidenced by serum ferritin that is not low. In the setting of inflammation, it may be difficult to differentiate AI from iron deficiency anemia, and the 2 conditions may coexist. Treatment should focus on the underlying disease. Recent advances in molecular understanding of AI are stimulating the development of new pathophysiologically targeted experimental therapies.

Keywords: Anemia of chronic disease; Cytokines; Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents; Ferroportin; Hepcidin.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Anemia / diagnosis
Anemia / etiology*
Anemia / therapy
Humans
Inflammation / complications*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding