Anemia of chronic disease is characterised by

(Ref: Robbins 8/e p662) 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 liver.  Hepcidin inhibits ferroportin function in macrophages and reduces the transfer of iron from storage pool to developing erythroid precursors in bone marrow. So the patient develop anemia irrespective of increased amount of iron in macrophages. Laboratory findings- Increased ferritin (storage iron), Low serum iron  and reduced total iron binding capacity. Whereas in iron deficiency anemia, the patient will have decreased ferritin, lowserum iron and high iron binding capacity.