On the other hand, anaemia of chronic disease (ACD) is characterized by normal or increased ferritin levels, as a result of increased storage and retention of iron within the reticuloendothelial system; in fact, during chronic inflammatory diseases proinflammatory cytokines lead to the activation of macrophages which augment their erythrophagocytic activity and express increased levels of divalent metal transporter-1 (DMT-1), a transmembrane protein functioning as a major iron uptaker. Here, SLC11A2 is linked to anemia (phenotype).