EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY UPDATE: Arthritic kids' iron supplements may
hasten joint
deterioration


By Diana Swift


WWASHINGTON, D.C. - The iron supplements that many arthritic children
take to
combat concomitant anemia may be hastening the deterioration of their
joints,
Houston researchers say.


Led by biologist Roman Shypailo of the Children's Nutrition Research
Centre at
Baylor College of Medicine, a Texas team looked at eight children being
treated
for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The patients, aged five to 15 years,

received an intravenous radioactive tracer dose of iron (0.03
microsievert).
Iron activity in affected joints was monitored on a
position/energy-sensitive
gamma counter, while a second machine monitored whole-body iron
retention. Iron
deposition was measured two hours post-infusion and again at days
seven, 14, 28
and 56.


Anemic
"We found that iron excessively accumulates in arthritic joints and
probably
contributes to the chronic damage," said Shypailo. "That puts you
between a
rock and a hard place because many of these arthritic kids are anemic
and need
iron supplements, which may worsen the disease."


The study found a high level of agreement between the joint data and
the
whole-body data, with a greater than 90% retention rate of the infused
iron
both in joints and systemically. Furthermore, six of eight patients
showed
increased uptake at the affected joints: 165% over the first 30 days
compared
with initial uptake at two hours.


The next step, he says, is to see if there is excessive deposition of
dietary
iron in arthritic joints.


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