title: Increased adipose tissue expression of hepcidin in severe obesity is independent from diabetes and NASH.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepcidin is an acute-phase response peptide. We have investigated the possible involvement of hepcidin in massive obesity, a state of chronic low-grade inflammation. Three groups of severely obese patients with or without diabetes or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepcidin expression was studied in liver and adipose tissue of these patients. Hepcidin regulation was investigated in vitro by adipose tissue explant stimulation studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hepcidin was expressed not only in the liver but also at the messenger RNA (mRNA) and the protein levels in adipose tissue. Moreover, mRNA expression was increased in adipose tissue of obese patients. The presence of diabetes or NASH did not modify the hepcidin expression levels in liver and adipose tissue. In adipose tissue, mRNA expression correlated with indexes of inflammation, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein. Interleukin-6 also promoted in vitro hepcidin expression. A low transferrin saturation ratio was observed in 68% of the obese patients; moreover, 24% of these patients presented with anemia. The observed changes in iron status could be due to the role of hepcidin as a negative regulator of intestinal iron absorption and macrophage iron efflux. Interestingly, a feedback control mechanism on hepcidin expression related to low transferrin saturation occurred in the liver but not in the adipose tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepcidin is a proinflammatory adipokine and may play an important role in hypoferremia of inflammation in obese condition.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie, EA1186, Faculté Médecine de Nice, Nice, France. soumeya.bekri@chu-rouen.fr
authors.forename: Soumeya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bekri
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gual
authors.forename: Rodolphe
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anty
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Luciani
authors.forename: Monsef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dahman
authors.forename: Bala
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iannelli
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staccini-Myx
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.forename: Imed
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ben Amor
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Saint-Paul
authors.forename: Pierre-Michel
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Huet
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sadoul
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gugenheim
authors.forename: Surjit Kaila S
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Srai
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Le Marchand-Brustel
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D001706:Biopsy; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014168:Transferrin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein