Plasma hepcidin concentrations significantly predict interindividual variation in iron absorption in healthy men.
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.
Roe
Mark A
MA
Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK.
Collings
Rachel
R
Dainty
Jack R
JR
Swinkels
Dorine W
DW
Fairweather-Tait
Susan J
SJ
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
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D006454:Hemoglobins; D064451:Hepcidins; D007503:Iron Isotopes; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D005293:Ferritins