Increased Plasma Ferritin Concentration and Low-Grade Inflammation—A Mendelian Randomization Study

Abstract

Increased plasma ferritin concentration as a marker of increased iron concentration is associated observationally and genetically with low-grade inflammation, possibly indicating a causal relationship from increased ferritin to inflammation. However, as <i>HFE</i> may also play an immunological role indicating pleiotropy and as incomplete penetrance of C282Y/C282Y indicates buffering mechanisms, these weaknesses in the study design could bias the genetic estimates.