ABSTRACT
Iron atom can exist in two states of valency, ferrous and ferric, and therefore, iron became the primordial partner of oxygen in evolution. In light of the complexity of its interaction with the immune system, iron may be considered as having a direct modeling effect on the immune system itself, analogous to the effect of an external antigen. Iron, as a product of red cell breakdown and recycling can thus be regarded as a target of immune surveillance. The definitive clarification of the possible part played by iron absorption on the modulation of the migration of intestinal lymph lymphocytes to the intestine can only be established in experiments done in pathogen-free conditions. Physiological changes in iron concentration in tissues and breast milk go hand-in-hand with similar changes in numbers of lymphocytes found at those sites. This coincidence could signify that lymphocytes go to those sites for the purpose of their own nutrition.
