[Relation of iron supply and iron metabolism to infectious diseases and parasitoses and the competence of the immune system].
In many infectious diseases and in several parasitoses the iron content in the blood plasma occasionally decreases. By reduction of the saturation of the transferrins with iron the bactericidal effect of the blood plasma is increased. In these cases the iron absorption into the liver is increased and the iron excretion from the reticulohistiocytic system decreased. The oral intake of easily soluble iron compounds which goes far beyond the need repeatedly an enteral increase of germs of Yersinia enterocolitica and a transition into the blood, respectively, was stated. The parenteral administration of Fe-dextran from time to time leads to an enrichment of this compound in macrophages, the performance of phagocytosis of which is thus restricted. The iron deficiency decreases the functional capacity of the immune system. The functional ability of the T- and B-lymphocytes as well as of the macrophages is reduced. The importance of the transferrins, of haemopexin, of haptoglobin and of lactoferrin for the defense of infections is demonstrated.