Like the peritoneal macrophage, the isolated Kupffer cell is capable of processing and
releasing iron acquired by phagocytosis of immunosensitized homologous red blood cells.
When erythrophagocytosis is restrained to levels which do not affect cell viability, or less
than 1.5 red cells/macrophage (phagocytic index of 150%), over 40% of iron acquired from
red cells is released within 24 hr. More active erythrophagocytosis results in greater release
of iron but progressive deterioration in cell viability. Iron release is temperature-dependent …