title: Plasma hepcidin concentrations significantly predict interindividual variation in iron absorption in healthy men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron absorption is proposed to be regulated by circulating hepcidin, but, to date, little data are available to evaluate this relation in humans.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Stored samples from a human iron absorption study were used to test the hypothesis that differences in plasma hepcidin explain interindividual variation in iron absorption.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepcidin-25 concentrations were measured in fasting samples from men aged > or = 40 y (n = 33) recruited to a study investigating the relation between the HFE genotype, iron absorption, and iron status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Log iron absorption was negatively correlated with serum ferritin (r = -0.59, P < 0.001) and with plasma hepcidin (r = -0.55, P < 0.001) but was unaffected by genotype. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.82, P < 0.001) between hepcidin (mean: 2.3; range: 0.1-7.8 nmol/L) and ferritin (mean: 70; range: 9-208 microg/L). Multiple linear regression models showed that plasma hepcidin in isolation significantly predicted 36% of the interindividual variation in iron absorption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma hepcidin and serum ferritin concentrations are highly correlated, and, in the normal range of plasma hepcidin values, 36% of interindividual differences in iron absorption are explained by differences in circulating plasma hepcidin.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Roe
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Collings
authors.forename: Jack R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Dainty
authors.forename: Dorine W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Swinkels
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Fairweather-Tait
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology*; D001682:Biological Availability; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D005838:Genotype; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007503:Iron Isotopes; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D006454:Hemoglobins; D064451:Hepcidins; D007503:Iron Isotopes; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D005293:Ferritins