Iron and transferrin uptake by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes |
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Authors: | P G Taylor A Soyano E Romano M Layrisse |
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Affiliation: | Centro de Medicina Experimental, Institute Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela. |
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Abstract: | Iron (Fe) and transferrin (TF) uptake by human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated in vitro with phytohemagglutinin was measured. Pulses of 59FeTF or 125I-TF were added to the cultures either at time 0 or 8 hr before the end of a 72-hr incubation. In time-course experiments, peak iron and transferrin uptake coincided with the peak of tritiated thymidine uptake taken as a measure of cellular activation. Iron, but not transferrin, was accumulated by the cells. Non-linear relationships existed between both iron and transferrin uptake and the degree of activation. Both rose markedly above basal levels only at a level of activation at least 50% of the maximum observed. The results suggest that although iron utilization is related to cellular activity, the uptake mechanism is only activated when an increased iron metabolism has exhausted internal stores. |
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