• Evaluation of serum iron levels in patients with bipolar disorder compared to healthy individuals
  • Hamidreza Karbalaei-Musa,1 Mohammad Hossein Hajali,2 Neda Abdollah Dallal,3 Iraj Mirzaii-Dizgah,4 Hassan Shahmiri Barzoki,5,*
    1. Student research committee, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
    2. Student research committee, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
    3. Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Iran
    4. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
    5. Department of Psychiatry, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.


  • Introduction: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a significant psychiatric disorder that includes periods of mania and depression and is one of the most complex mental disorders that severely impacts the life of the affected individual. Due to the neuroinflammatory properties of some psychiatric disorders that affect the body's system and subsequently alter some measurable factors, specific biomarkers such as iron can be useful for investigation. Since such biological markers enable quicker disease detection and early diagnosis, research in this area can improve the diagnosis and prompt initiation of treatment in this disorder. Therefore, our aim in this study has been to compare the iron concentration in the serum of individuals with BD and healthy individuals.
  • Methods: This observational study was conducted in a hospital in Tehran and included 67 participants aged 18 to 65, consisting of 39 individuals diagnosed with BD and 28 healthy individuals. Blood samples were collected, and iron levels were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy with rigorous quality control measures in place. The results were analyzed using statistical tests, with p<0.05 considered significant.
  • Results: The average age was similar in both groups (36.13 ± 10.28 vs 36.04 ± 6.56 years, p=0.967). However, there were significant differences in gender distribution (82.1% vs 53.6% male, p=0.016), marital status (64.1% vs 32.1% single, p=0.014), and smoking habits (74.4% vs 39.3% smokers, p=0.006) between the BD and control groups. Iron levels were significantly higher in the BD group compared to controls (105.0 ± 7.5 vs 85.0 ± 5.8, p=0.049).
  • Conclusion: Serum iron levels are increased in individuals with BD, creating a difference compared to healthy individuals. However, this issue needs to be confirmed through further extensive studies.
  • Keywords: Bipolar disorder; Iron; Neuroinflammation