Clinical aspects of iron absorption and turnover. pp. 34-61.

The diagnostic 10 micro-mole (0.56 mg) 59Fe2 absorption whole body retention test 
(Fig. 1) has now been in use for 10 years for 
the detection of depleted iron stores in subjects with iron deficiency 
(Heinrich et al., 1966; Heinrich and Bartels, 1967). Further studies were 
necessary to investigate the clinical reliability of increased 59Fe2 absorption in 
patients with erythroblastic hyperplasia, which may control the regulation of iron 
absorption by iron stores. The relationship between iron absorption and iron 
stores was studied in pancreatic insufficiency to reinvestigate the effect of 
pancreatic secretion on iron absorption. Iron absorption in patients with gluten-sensitive 
enteropathy was investigated in order to correlate the impairment of iron 
absorption with the degree of villous atrophy and to study its 
recovery on a gluten-free diet. Dietary iron absorption was measured in 
patients with gastric mucosal atrophy and partial gastrectomy to investigate the 
extent to which iron malabsorption is responsible for the high incidence 
of iron deficiency in such patients. The combination of the diagnostic 
59Fe2 absorption test and measurement of the whole body 59Fe2 elimination 
rate is a useful routine procedure for the detection and quantification 
of gastrointestinal or urogenital blood loss as a cause of iron 
deficiency. 