Afebrile Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia decreases absorption of fortification iron but does not affect systemic iron utilization a double stable-isotope study in young Beninese women

Background Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affects many young women in sub Saharan Africa Its etiology is multifactorial but the major cause is low dietary iron bioavailability exacerbated by parasitic infections such as malaria Objective We investigated whether asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia in Beninese women would impair absorption of dietary iron or utilization of circulating iron Design Iron absorption and utilization from an iron fortified sorghum based meal were estimated by using oral and intravenous isotope labels in 23 afebrile women with a positive malaria smear (asexual P falciparum parasitemia >500 parasites/mu L blood) The women were studied while Infected treated and then restudied 10 d after treatment Iron status hepcidin and inflammation indexes were measured before and after treatment Results Treatment reduced low grade inflammation as reflected by decreases in serum ferritin C reactive protein interleukin 6 inter leukin 8 and interleukin 10 (P < 0 05) this was accompanied by a reduction in median serum hepcidin of approximate to 50% from 2 7 to 1 4 nmol/L (P < 0 005) Treatment decreased serum erythropoietin and growth differentiation factor 15 (P < 0 05) Clearance of parasitemia increased geometric mean dietary iron absorption (from 10 2% to 176% P = 0 008) but did not affect systemic iron utilization (85 0% compared with 83 1% NS) Conclusions Dietary iron absorption is reduced by approximate to 40% in asymptomatic P falciparum parasitemia likely because of low grade inflammation and Its modulation of circulating hepcidin Be cause asymptomatic parasitemia has a protracted course and is very common in malarial areas this effect may contribute to IDA and blunt the efficacy of Iron supplementation and fortification programs This trial was registered at clinicaltrials gov as NCT01108939 Am J Clin Nutr 2010 92 1385-92