title: The iron regulatory hormone hepcidin is decreased in pregnancy: a prospective longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron deficiency is a commonly encountered problem in pregnancy and a frequently observed cause of pregnancy-associated anemia. We longitudinally assessed the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin during gestation and postpartum and related hepcidin to conventional indicators of iron status and inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one healthy pregnant women were included and 81 blood samples from the three trimesters, directly and 6 weeks postpartum were analyzed for hemoglobin, the iron parameters: iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor and hepcidin, and CRP and leucocytes as markers of inflammation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hepcidin concentration decreased gradually from the first to the second and third trimester to undetectable levels (≤ 0.5 nmol/L) which was paralleled by decreasing hemoglobin levels and changes in iron parameters indicative for iron deficiency. During gestation hepcidin levels correlated with iron parameters, but not with inflammatory markers. Postpartum, hepcidin increased immediately to levels similar as assessed at early pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that hepcidin levels were suppressed during the second and third trimester of pregnancy, which was likely determined by the occurrence of iron deficiency. These data give insight in iron homeostasis during normal pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Santen
authors.forename: Joyce J C
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kroot
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zijderveld
authors.forename: Erwin T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Wiegerinck
authors.forename: Marc E A
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Spaanderman
authors.forename: Dorine W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Swinkels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D064451:Hepcidins; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron