Generality
Hemosiderin is an iron storage protein, which can be measured by taking small tissue samples (biopsy).
Alterations of hemosiderin assume a predictive value for the diagnosis of various pathologies, including: chronic infections, stable or long-standing heart disease, sideropenic anemia and liver cirrhosis.
Abnormal accumulations of hemosiderin also occur in cases of iron metabolism disorders, with excessive deposition of this metal in the tissues (as in hemosiderosis and hemochromatosis).
This parameter is not measured in the blood, but can be highlighted in various tissues, using special histochemical reactions and an optical microscope. Rather than assessing the extent of the body's iron reserves, this analysis serves to highlight pathological sideroblasts (expression of metal accumulation in erythroblasts).
What's this
Hemosiderin is a protein that binds iron. Together with ferritin, this protein performs the important function of storing iron in the body.
From a structural point of view, hemosiderin is composed of the aggregation of ferritin molecules with other elements (lipids, sialic acid, proteins and porphyrins).
Excess local or systemic iron causes hemosiderin to accumulate in the cells.
