TF and infection: Three adaptive functions have been proposed for the hypoferremia of inflammation: inhibition of extracellular bacterial growth by sequestering available iron (considering that most infectious agents need to scavenge iron from the host to multiply); protection from the toxicity caused by high levels of iron and heme released during tissue necrosis and erythrocyte destruction; and increased transferrin capacity to bind to iron released during infection and inflammation [6,8].