Iron, Allergic Asthma, & Hair Loss

     Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma accounting for 60% of the 20 million asthma sufferers. This condition is characterized by inflammatio an airway obstruction caused by exposure to an allergen.
      Scientists used a clsic model of IgE-mediated allergy in mice to test the effect of low or high iron levels on the severity of the allergic response. They found that iron supplementation markedly decreased allergen-induced airway hyper-reactivity and the underlying immune mediated mechnisms involved in creating the hyper-reactivity.
      The researchers concluded, "Taken together, these studies show that iron supplementation can decrease the severity of allergic inflammation in the lung, potentially via multiple mechanisms that affect mast cell activity. Further studies are indicated to determine the potential of iron supplementation to modulate the clinical severity of allergic diseases in humans."
      Why did the researchers decide to try iron? Iron is well-known to affect the ability to oxygenate tissues and generate energy. A study conducted in 2010 found that iron deficiency acted as a trigger increasing mast cell activation. Mast cells are the key players in IgE-mediated allergic reactions.
     The consequence of the iron deficiency and immune activation in the original study resulted in hair loss. This little study was of interest to me because in my book Your Body's Sign Language (page 31) I reported that Dr. Janet Roberts found iron deficiency to be the main determinant of hair loss in 72% of premenopausal women. Premenopausal women are susceptible to iron deficiency due to the blood loss associated with the menstrual period.
     The level of iron deficiency in the asthma study was mild. Tissue stores of iron were low but blood levels of iron and red blood cell formation were not abnormal. The researchers note, "Our in vivo studies also clearly show that iron supplementation can decrease the severity of inflammation in an in vivo model of allergic asthma in mice with mild iron deficiency." Human beings with a similar degree of iron deficiency to these mice would not typically be classified as iron deficient. Detection of this degree of deficiency would require expensive and invasive testing.
References:
     Hale LP, Kant EP, Greer PK, Foster WM (2012) Iron Supplementation Decreases Severity of Allergic Inflammation in Murine Lung. PLoS ONE 7(9): e45667. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0045667
     Vanderford DA, Greer PK, Sharp JM, Finberg KA, Chichlowski M, et al. (2010) Alopecia in IL-10-deficient mouse pups is c-Kit-dependent and can be triggered by iron deficiency. Exp Dermatol 19: 518-526.