According to a University of California, Los Angeles study published in the May 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, an immune system protein called interleukin-6 can trigger chronic anemia in those who have infections and major inflammatory diseases.

Anemia occurs when the number of red blood cells in the body falls below normal and thus the body has less oxygen being provided to it. The findings of this study state that anemia develops in patients with inflammatory diseases when interleukin-6 stimulates an increase in the hormone Hepcidin, which then lowers the amount of iron in the bloodstream. Anemia can cause serious side effects if left untreated and scientists hope that this discovery may help them in developing new ways to prevent anemia in people with inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

In a statement, principal investigator Dr. Tomas Ganz says, “We knew previously that the iron level in the blood drops during an infection or inflammatory state, but didn’t know the molecular mechanism that sparks this response.” He adds, “For the first time, we now can show the complete biological sequence of events leading to anemia in specific inflammatory diseases and infections.

Stay Informed