Leverjerninnhold

Leverjerninnhold, or liver iron content, is a measure of the amount of iron stored in liver tissue. It is relevant for assessing body iron stores, diagnosing iron overload conditions such as hereditary hemochromatosis or secondary siderosis, and evaluating dietary iron intake in nutritional studies. In clinical practice, liver iron concentration is typically reported as milligrams of iron per gram of dry liver tissue (mg/g dry weight) when measured directly, or estimated non-invasively by imaging.

Measurement is typically performed on liver tissue samples. Direct measurement requires a liver biopsy, with the tissue analyzed chemically or using histological staining (Prussian blue) to quantify iron. Non-invasive methods include MRI-based relaxometry (R2 or R2*) to estimate liver iron concentration (LIC), and, in some settings, techniques such as FerriScan or quantitative susceptibility mapping.

Interpretation: Normal LIC values fall within a low mg/g dry weight range; elevations indicate iron overload with risk of hepatic injury, occurring in conditions such as hereditary hemochromatosis, transfusional siderosis, or chronic liver disease with iron accumulation. Low LIC indicates iron deficiency or depleted hepatic iron stores.

Factors influencing measurement include inflammation (which can elevate ferritin independently), age, sex, liver disease, transfusion history, and recent iron intake. In nutrition science, liver from animals or humans is a dietary source; its iron content contributes to dietary heme iron intake.

See also: Iron metabolism, Ferritin, Transferrin saturation, Hemochromatosis, Siderosis, Liver biopsy, MRI.