Fig. 3
From: Iron as an emerging therapeutic target in critically ill patients
Catalytic iron release in the plasma of critically ill patients in acute crisis. Several acute crises (hemolysis, myolysis and tissue injury, liver cell death, and cell death in the case of infection) induce the release of iron-binding proteins and small iron species. This iron release is characterized by increased transferrin saturation and serum iron and ferritin levels, and it correlates with worsening clinical conditions, as catalytic iron can increase oxidative stress, promote pathogen infection, and activate proinflammatory macrophages