Anemia of chronic disease is characterized by

*Anemia of chronic disease- Impaired red cell production associated with any chronic diseases that would be infectious/inflammatory/neoplastic.*Chronic diseases produce a cytokine "IL-6" that increases the production of hepcidin from the liver. Hepcidin inhibits ferropoin function in macrophages and reduces the transfer of iron from the storage pool to developing erythroid precursors in bone marrow. *So the patient develops anemia irrespective of an increased amount of iron in macrophages.*Laboratory findings- Increased ferritin (storage iron), Low serum iron and reduced total iron binding capacity.-progenitors do not proliferate adequately because erythropoietin levels are inappropriately low for the degree of anemia.Whereas in iron deficiency anemia, the patient will have decreased ferritin, low serum iron, and high iron binding capacity. (Ref: Robbins 8/e p662)