The role of dysmetabolic iron overload syndrome in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and carbohydrate metabolism disorders induction

Iron affects the pathogenesis and clinical course of several chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity, atherosclerosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. High pro-oxidant iron activity is physiologically controlled by mechanisms regulating entry, recycling, and loss of body iron. These mechanisms include the interplay of iron with ferritin, transferrin, hepcidin, insulin, as well as with adipokines and proinflammatory molecules. An imbalance of these regulatory mechanisms results in both systemic and parenchymal siderosis. Iron overload has a toxic effect on the major tissues involved in lipid and glucose metabolism — pancreatic β cells, liver, muscle, and adipose tissue — as well as the organs affected by chronic hyperglycemia — brain, retina and kidneys. Hyperferremia leads to a decrease in insulin secretion, the formation of insulin resistance and increased liver gluconeogenesis. Molecular mechanisms for these effects are diverse. Elucidating them will implicate both for carbohydrate metabolism disorders prevention and for the pathogenesis of other diseases that are, like diabetes mellitus type 2, associated with nutrition, aging and iron. The literature review presents data from world studies on the mutual influence of glucose metabolism and iron overload, and discusses the differences between hereditary and acquired disorders of iron metabolism from the standpoint of their influence on carbohydrate metabolism.