The anemia of ageing is not associated with increased plasma hepcidin levels.
It has been proposed that the anemia of ageing may be caused, at least in part, by elevated hepcidin levels, representing a response to increased IL-6 levels. Using a recently developed immunoassay, we have measured the plasma hepcidin levels of eight patients with the anemia of ageing and sex- and age-matched controls, and found that the levels of hepcidin were not increased in patients with the anemia of ageing. In contrast, patients with the anemia of inflammation have higher hepcidin levels than sex- and age-matched controls. In the overall group there was a strong correlation between serum ferritin levels and hepcidin levels, as has been found previously.
Lee
Pauline
P
Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Gelbart
Terri
T
Waalen
Jill
J
Beutler
Ernest
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D005293:Ferritins