Hooked on iron
iron supplements are routinely prescribed to people infected with hookworm, an intestinal parasite that causes anaemia and protein deficiency. But a new us study says this line of treatment is unlikely to help and suggests the need to review the guideline.
Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine and University of Maryland studied the effect of diets containing either 10 parts per million (ppm) iron (iron restricted) or 200 ppm iron (standard) on hamsters. These animals were then infected with hookworm (Ancylostoma ceylanicum). The group found that infected animals fed the standard diet experienced significant delay in growth and had lower blood haemoglobin levels as compared to uninfected controls 20 days after infection. In contrast, no significant differences in weight or haemoglobin concentration were observed between infected and uninfected animals fed the iron-restricted diet. The iron-restricted animals also had reduced intestinal worm burdens on day 10 and day 20 after infection.
The group then studied the effect of a range of iron supplements