Oral iron supplementation: Potential implications for the gut microbiome and metabolome in patients with CKD.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to investigate whether oral iron supplementation adversely affects gut microbiota, metabolome, and immunity in iron-deficient predialysis CKD patients.
Results Summary
The study suggests oral iron supplementation may negatively alter gut microbiota, increase uremic toxin production, and impact immune function, though further research is needed to confirm these effects.
Population
Iron-deficient predialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
oral iron supplementation | decrease | gut microbiota composition | in vivo and in vitro studies | - | adverse effects | #1 |
oral iron supplementation | decrease | gut metabolome | in vivo and in vitro studies | - | adverse effects | #2 |
oral iron supplementation | decrease | intestinal health | in vivo and in vitro studies | - | adverse effects | #3 |
oral iron supplementation | increase | uremic toxins | - | - | may result in an increased production | #4 |
oral iron supplementation | neutral | circulating levels of other microbe-derived molecules | - | - | may also affect | #5 |
changes in body iron levels | neutral | host immune function | - | - | exert subtle effects | #6 |
changes in body iron levels | neutral | immune cell proliferation and differentiation | - | - | modulating | #7 |
changes in body iron levels | neutral | cytokine formation and antimicrobial immune effector mechanisms | - | - | directly regulating | #8 |
oral iron supplementation | decrease | gut microbiota composition | iron deficient predialysis CKD patients | - | adversely changes | #9 |
oral iron supplementation | decrease | gut and systemic metabolome | iron deficient predialysis CKD patients | - | adversely changes | #10 |
oral iron supplementation | decrease | host immunity and infection | iron deficient predialysis CKD patients | - | adversely changes | #11 |
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and loss of kidney function are at increased risk for morbidity and mortality. The risks of CKD are attributed to "uremia," an increased concentration of uremic retention solutes (toxins) in the plasma. Recently, a colo-renal axis became clearly apparent and uremia has been associated with an altered gut microbiome composition and metabolism. There is a high prevalence of anemia in patients with CKD, for which patients are often treated with oral or intravenous iron. Recent in vivo and in vitro studies have reported adverse effects of oral iron supplementation on the gut microbiota composition, gut metabolome, and intestinal health, which in turn may result in an increased production of uremic toxins. It may also affect circulating levels of other microbe-derived molecules, that can act as mediators of immune regulation. Changes in body iron levels have also been reported to exert subtle effects on host immune function by modulating immune cell proliferation and differentiation, and by directly regulating cytokine formation and antimicrobial immune effector mechanisms. Based on the foregoing it is conceivable that oral iron supplementation in iron deficient predialysis CKD patients adversely changes gut microbiota composition, the gut and systemic metabolome, and host immunity and infection. Future studies are needed to confirm these hypotheses and to assess whether, compared to IV iron supplementation, oral iron supplementation negatively impacts on morbidity of CKD, and whether these adverse effects depend on the iron bioavailability of the iron formulation to the microbiota.