Serum prohepcidin levels correlate with hepatic iron stores in chronic hepatitis C patients.
OBJECTIVE
Increased serum iron indices and hepatic iron stores are frequent in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The antimicrobial peptide hepdicin produced in the liver plays a pivotal role in iron homeostasis.


METHODS
To determine the expression of hepcidin, the serum levels of prohepcidin were measured in 58 CHC patients and 144 healthy controls. The hepatic iron stores were scored by Perls' stain on liver biopsy specimens in 39 CHC patients. The serum prohepcidin levels were correlated with biochemical inflammation markers, histological necroinflammation grades, hemoglobin levels and iron status in CHC patients.


RESULTS
The concentrations of serum prohepcidin were significantly higher in CHC patients than in healthy controls (142.07 +/- 67.06 vs. 89.07 +/- 37.32 ng/mL, p < 0.001). The CHC patients with positive hepatic iron stains had significantly higher serum prohepcidin levels than the CHC patients without (221.20 +/- 117.74 vs. 123.81 +/- 60.53 ng/mL, p = 0.037). The serum prohepdicin levels were not significantly correlated with the ages (r = -0.041, p = 0.760), hemoglobin (r = 0.127, p = 0.346), alanine aminotransferase (r = -0.032, p = 0.813), transferrin saturation (r = 0.025, p = 0.862), ferritin levels (r = 0.211, p = 0.133) and hepatic inflammation grades (r = 0.153, p = 0.352) in CHC patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of serum prohepcidin is independent of the degree of hepatic inflammation as measured by the histological activity or aminotransferase level. The serum prohepcidin levels are associated with hepatic iron stains and significantly higher in CHC patients than in healthy controls. Our results suggest that CHC may induce the expression of hepcidin possibly by increased hepatic iron stores.
Lin
Tsung-Jung
TJ
Department of Gastroenterology, Ren-Ai Branch, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Liao
Li-Ying
LY
Chou
Jung-Mao
JM
Liu
Shu-O
SO
Wang
Chung-Kwe
CK
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism*; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D064451:Hepcidins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D007501:Iron