1 Iron dependent erythropoiesis in women with excessive menstrual blood losses and women with normal menses Mariasanta Napolitano, MD 1 ; Alberto Dolce, PhD 2 ; Giuseppe Celenza, PhD 3 ; Elvira Grandone, MD 4 ; Maria Grazia Perilli, PhD 3 ; Sergio Siragusa, MD 1 ; Gaspare Carta, MD 5 ; Assunta Orecchioni, MD; 6 and Guglielmo Mariani, MD 7 1. Hematology Unit, Thrombosis and Hemostasis Reference Regional Center, University of Palermo, Palermo-Italy 2. Istituto Superiore Italiano di Statistica (ISTAT), Palermo, Italy 3. Biochemical Sciences Department, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila-Italy 4. Thrombosis and Hemostatis Center, IRCCS Casa “Sollievo della Sofferenza”, S. Giovanni Rotondo, Italy 5. Gynecology and Obstetric Unit, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila-Italy 6. Clinical Pathology Unit, Central Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, “S. Salvatore” Regional Hospital, L’Aquila-Italy 7. University of Ferrara, Ferrara-Italy Corresponding author: Mariasanta Napolitano, MD Hematology Unit, Thrombosis and Hemostasis Reference Regional Center Policlinico “P. Giaccone” Via del Vespro, 1-90100- Palermo- Italy Tel: +390916554405-4403 Fax: +390916554002 E-mail: mariasanta.napolitano@unipa.it Table of content: Normal hematopoiesis Text word count: 2837 (References, Table anf Figure Legends excluded) Keywords: Iron losses, Iron deficiency, Iron deficient anemia, Menstrual blood losses