title: Increased serum hepcidin and ghrelin levels in children treated for iron deficiency anemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to determine the relation between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and serum leptin, hepcidin, and ghrelin levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty children with IDA and 28 healthy children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years admitted to our hospital were evaluated prospectively. IDA was diagnosed based on clinical and laboratory findings. All children with IDA were treated with iron II-glycine-sulphate complex for 3 months. Complete blood count; iron metabolism parameters; and serum leptin, hepcidin, and ghrelin levels were studied in all healthy children and in children with IDA before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In children with IDA, the decrease seen in serum leptin levels after the iron treatment was not statistically significant. However, the increase seen in serum hepcidin levels after the iron treatment was statistically significant (P = 0.038). Hepcidin levels were significantly higher in children with IDA who received iron treatment compared to healthy children (P = 0.008). After the iron treatment, serum ghrelin levels in children with IDA were also significantly higher compared to the levels before treatment and healthy children (P = 0.019 and 0.000, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum ghrelin and hepcidin levels increase with iron treatment in children with IDA. In view of the higher serum ghrelin and hepcidin levels after iron treatment when compared to pretreatment levels and the healthy children, we suggest that the iron treatment has an important role in serum hepcidin and ghrelin synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alioglu
authors.forename: Nermin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dindar
authors.forename: Yildiz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dallar
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D054439:Ghrelin; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D006454:Hemoglobins; D064451:Hepcidins; D020738:Leptin; D007501:Iron