Serum pro-hepcidin levels in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Hepcidin is a principal iron regulatory hormone and its expression is stimulated by cytokines. The aim of this study was to determine serum levels of the prohormone form of hepcidin, pro-hepcidin, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study included 72 RA and 28 SLE patients and 33 healthy controls (HC). Serum iron status, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6 and pro-hepcidin levels were determined. Pro-hepcidin levels in the RA group was higher than SLE and HC groups (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively). Pro-hepcidin levels did not correlate with disease activity scores, cytokine levels and serum iron status in the RA and SLE groups, while it correlated with TNF-alpha, IL-6 and ferritin levels in the HC group (r = 0.459, p < 0.01, r = 0.374, p < 0.05, r = -0.603, p < 0.01, respectively). Pro-hepcidin levels show extremely wide variations within the groups as do iron status and cytokines. Despite these wide variations correlation analysis do not reveal anything.
Koca
Suleyman Serdar
SS
Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey. kocassk@yahoo.com
Isik
Ahmet
A
Ustundag
Bilal
B
Metin
Kerem
K
Aksoy
Kader
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D064451:Hepcidins; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron