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One of the main roles of reticuloendothelial macrophages is the recycling of iron from red blood cells. These cells remove iron from the blood mainly by phagocytosis of senescent red blood cells.

They release their iron into the plasma via the iron export protein ferroportin (IREG1). Released iron is oxidized into the ferric (Fe+3) state by ceruloplasmin, a reaction that allows the iron to bind to transferrin.