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BACKGROUND: Iron bioavailability has been identified as a factor that influences cellular hypoxia sensing, putatively via an action on the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway. We therefore hypothesized that clinical iron deficiency would disturb integrated human responses to hypoxia. METHODS: We performed a prospective, controlled, observational study of the effects of iron status on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Individuals with absolute iron deficiency (ID) and an iron-replete (IR) control group were exposed to two 6-hour periods of isocapnic hypoxia. The second hypoxic exposure was preceded by i.v. infusion of iron. Pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) was serially assessed with Doppler echocardiography. RESULTS: Thirteen ID individuals completed the study and were age- and sex-matched with controls. PASP did not differ by group or study day before each hypoxic exposure. During the first 6-hour hypoxic exposure, the rise in PASP was 6.2 mmHg greater in the ID group (absolute rises 16.1 and 10.7 mmHg, respectively; 95% CI for difference, 2.7-9.7 mmHg, P = 0.001). Intravenous iron attenuated the PASP rise in both groups; however, the effect was greater in ID participants than in controls (absolute reductions 11.1 and 6.8 mmHg, respectively; 95% CI for difference in change, -8.3 to -0.3 mmHg, P = 0.035). Serum erythropoietin responses to hypoxia also differed between groups. CONCLUSION: Clinical iron deficiency disturbs normal responses to hypoxia, as evidenced by exaggerated hypoxic pulmonary hypertension that is reversed by subsequent iron administration. Disturbed hypoxia sensing and signaling provides a mechanism through which iron deficiency may be detrimental to human health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01847352). FUNDING: M.C. Frise is the recipient of a British Heart Foundation Clinical Research Training Fellowship (FS/14/48/30828). K.L. Dorrington is supported by the Dunhill Medical Trust (R178/1110). D.J. Roberts was supported by R&D funding from National Health Service (NHS) Blood and Transplant and a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme grant (RP-PG-0310-1004). This research was funded by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Programme.

Original publication

DOI

10.1172/JCI85715

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Clin Invest

Publication Date

01/06/2016

Volume

126

Pages

2139 - 2150

Keywords

Adult, Arterial Pressure, Cardiac Output, Case-Control Studies, Echocardiography, Doppler, Erythropoietin, Female, Hepcidins, Humans, Hypertension, Pulmonary, Hypoxia, Interleukin-6, Iron, Iron Deficiencies, Male, Middle Aged, Oxyhemoglobins, Prospective Studies, Pulmonary Artery, Respiration, Signal Transduction