Cg. Ward et al., IRON AND INFECTION - NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS, The journal of trauma, injury, infection, and critical care, 41(2), 1996, pp. 356-364
Unsaturated transferrin in plasma ensures that the amount of free ferr
ic iron available to bacteria is about 10(-18) mol/L. This low iron en
vironment is essential for the bacteriostatic and bactericidal systems
in blood, lymph, and exudates, Antibacterial systems are abolished wh
en iron becomes freely available, This results in rapid extracellular
bacterial growth and greatly increased bacterial virulence, In human p
lasma, a fall in E(h) (oxidation-reduction potential) or pH results in
the abolition or marked reduction of its bactericidal properties. Thi
s is highly relevant to infection after trauma, where a fail in E(h) a
nd pH frequently accompanies tissue damage. Bacterial resistance to an
tibiotics has put the treatment of serious infections in jeopardy, Rei
nforcement of natural means of resistance needs to be explored, as wel
l as examining new antibacterials that interfere with bacterial iron m
etabolism.