HAMP and Iron deficiency anemia: Inflammation leads to an increased release of hepcidin from the liver, which downregulates ferroportin, resulting in (1) reduced transport of dietary iron intake from the inside of mucosal cells to the small intestine to the bloodstream [96] and (2) reduced release of recycled iron from the macrophages in the spleen and liver to the bloodstream, which in turn may lead to iron deficiency [25].