title: Is it time for hepcidin to join the diagnostic toolkit for iron deficiency?
abstract: The diagnostic value of hepcidin, the master regulator of iron metabolism, as an index of iron status is being intensively investigated. van Santen et al. have reported the value of hepcidin as a test for iron deficiency in both noninflamed and inflamed anemic patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Their data show that serum hepcidin identifies iron deficiency in anemic rheumatoid arthritis patients. Based on these results, the authors offer cutoffs for hepcidin and propose an algorithm to diagnose iron deficiency in this setting. This study provides insight into the physiology of hepcidin regulation in patients with coexisting iron deficiency and inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Nossal Institute for Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. sant-rayn.pasricha@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Sant-Rayn
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pasricha