Hemosiderin

The hemosiderin (from gr αίμα "blood" [see heme ] and σίδηρος " iron ") consists of fragments of ferritin, the major storage protein for iron. Chemically, it is a water-insoluble complex of iron and various proteins; the iron content is about 37 %. Hemosiderin is - unlike ferritin - no physiological storage form and can only find intracellularly, mainly in macrophages. It has a golden yellow color natively, in histological sections can be stained with the Prussian blue reaction and visualized.

Hemosiderin created especially abundant in areas of major bleeding. Hämosiderinbeladene macrophages ( so-called "heart failure cells ", siderophages ) in sputum can give evidence of heart failure. Diseases with increased iron deposition in the organism hot Hämosiderosen.

The History

The name of hemosiderin in 1888, coined by Ernst Neumann ( 1834-1918 ), pathologist and hematologist from Königsberg. He also established the so-called " Exklusionsgesetz the Hämoglobinabkömmlinge ". It asserts Neumann, that the blood pigment " hemosiderin " is formed in a living organism, while the " hematoidin " is a pigment symbol of necrosis.