The type of iron stored in hemosiderin is less chemically reactive that what is found in ferritin and potentially less available for mobilization.
Excessive accumulation of hemosiderin is associated with macrophage cell death. Hemosiderin can accumulate in cells of the heart, liver, lungs, pancreas and other organs and affect their ability to function properly.
Hemosiderin requires 2 days to develop, the substance forms only in living cells that also store the phagocytized iron in this form, i.e. cells of the reticuloendothelial system.
This produces brown discoloration in the storage tissue. If beta cells of the pancreas are loaded with hemosiderin, they become unable to produce or store adequate amounts of the hormone insulin, which results in diabetes.
What is hemosiderin?
