Obesity during pregnancy and fetal iron status: is Hepcidin the link?
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain the effect of obesity-related inflammation on maternal and fetal iron status. We hypothesized that obese (Ob) pregnant women would have increased inflammation, hepcidin levels, and that their infants would have impaired iron status compared with lean (Lc) controls.


METHODS
Fifteen Ob and fifteen Lc women were recruited in their second trimester of pregnancy. Markers of iron status, inflammation and hepcidin were measured in maternal and cord blood. Student's t-test was used to compare Ob and Lc groups, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were determined between maternal and cord blood values.


RESULTS
Maternal C-reactive protein (P<0.01) and hepcidin (P<0.01) were higher, and cord blood iron (P<0.01) was lower in the Ob group. Maternal body mass index (P<0.01) and hepcidin (P<0.05) were negatively correlated with cord blood iron status.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal obesity is associated with impaired maternal-fetal iron transfer, potentially through hepcidin upregulation.
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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Dao
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Iyer
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Klebenov
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Meydani
D000328:Adult; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D015854:Up-Regulation
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein