Satoshi Ito1, Katsuya Ikuta2, Daisuke Kato3, Kotoe Shibusa1, Noriyasu Niizeki4, Hiroki Tanaka5, Lynda Addo1, Yasumichi Toki1, Mayumi Hatayama1, Junki Inamura1, Motohiro Shindo1, Katsunori Sasaki5, Naomi Iizuka3, Mikihiro Fujiya1, Yoshihiro Torimoto6, Yutaka Kohgo1. 1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan. 2. Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan. Electronic address: ikuta@asahikawa-med.ac.jp. 3. Research and Development Department, Shino-Test Corporation, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. 4. Department of Medical Laboratory and Blood Center, Asahikawa Medical University Hospital, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan. 5. Department of Gastrointestinal Immunology and Regenerative Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan. 6. Oncology Center, Asahikawa Medical University Hospital, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Iron is an essential metal in the body, but its excessive accumulation causes damage in various organs through free radical production. Iron homeostasis is therefore tightly regulated. However, when iron balance collapses, such as in prolonged transfusion, transferrin (Tf) is fully saturated and non-Tf-bound iron (NTBI) appears in the serum. Monitoring serum NTBI levels is therefore crucial in the assessment of the clinical status of patients with iron overload, since NTBI is associated with cellular and organ damage. Several methods for NTBI determination have been reported, but these are extremely complicated and very few laboratories can quantify NTBI at present. METHODS: We established a novel assay system utilizing automated analyzers that are widely used in clinical laboratories for diagnostic testing. In this assay, NTBI is chelated by nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), after which the iron is reduced and transferred to nitroso-PSAP, a chromogen. RESULTS: The assay shows excellent linearity, reproducibility, and compatibility with HPLC, one of the most reliable conventional methods for NTBI quantification. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel method for NTBI measurement is high-throughput and may be a useful and powerful tool in the study of the physiological and clinical importance of NTBI.
BACKGROUND:Iron is an essential metal in the body, but its excessive accumulation causes damage in various organs through free radical production. Iron homeostasis is therefore tightly regulated. However, when iron balance collapses, such as in prolonged transfusion, transferrin (Tf) is fully saturated and non-Tf-bound iron (NTBI) appears in the serum. Monitoring serum NTBI levels is therefore crucial in the assessment of the clinical status of patients with iron overload, since NTBI is associated with cellular and organ damage. Several methods for NTBI determination have been reported, but these are extremely complicated and very few laboratories can quantify NTBI at present. METHODS: We established a novel assay system utilizing automated analyzers that are widely used in clinical laboratories for diagnostic testing. In this assay, NTBI is chelated by nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), after which the iron is reduced and transferred to nitroso-PSAP, a chromogen. RESULTS: The assay shows excellent linearity, reproducibility, and compatibility with HPLC, one of the most reliable conventional methods for NTBI quantification. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel method for NTBI measurement is high-throughput and may be a useful and powerful tool in the study of the physiological and clinical importance of NTBI.
Authors: Maciej W Garbowski; Yongmin Ma; Suthat Fucharoen; Somdet Srichairatanakool; Robert Hider; John B Porter Journal: Transl Res Date: 2016-06-07 Impact factor: 7.012