title: Serum pro-hepcidin could reflect disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between serum pro-hepcidin concentration and the anemia profiles of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to estimate the pro-hepcidin could reflect the disease activity of RA. RA disease activities were measured using Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), tender/swollen joint counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Anemia profiles such as hemoglobin, iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), ferritin, and transferrin levels were measured. Serum concentration of pro-hepcidin, the prohormone of hepcidin, was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mean concentration of serum pro-hepcidin was 237.6+/-67.9 ng/mL in 40 RA patients. The pro-hepcidin concentration was correlated with rheumatoid factor, CRP, ESR, and DAS28. There was a significant correlation between pro-hepcidin with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, and IL-6. The pro-hepcidin concentration was significantly higher in the patients with active RA (DAS28>5.1) than those with inactive to moderate RA (DAS28< or =5.1). However, the pro-hepcidin concentration did not correlate with the anemia profiles except hemoglobin level. There was no difference of pro-hepcidin concentration between the patients with anemia of chronic disease and those without. In conclusion, serum concentration of pro-hepcidin reflects the disease activity, regardless of the anemia states in RA patients, thus it may be another potential marker for disease activity of RA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Medical Immunology Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hae-Rim
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyoung-Woon
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: So-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sang-Hyon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000097:blood; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha