title: Serum hepcidin levels are associated with obesity but not liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepcidin is regulated by anemia and inflammation. It is primarily expressed in the liver but studies have reported its expression in adipose tissue. The relationship between BMI and serum hepcidin and the relationship between liver histology and serum hepcidin in the morbidly obese was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum and liver tissue from patients undergoing bariatric surgery (bariatric cohort, n = 105) and serum from healthy blood donors (n = 60) were used to conduct this study. Serum hepcidin was measured using sandwich ELISA, highly specific for hepcidin-25. Serum ferritin, IL-6, IL-1β and liver function biochemistries were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for covariates, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2) was significantly associated with higher serum hepcidin level compared to individuals with lower BMI groups (17.7 ± 11.5 vs. 3.3 ± 4.7 ng/ml, P = 0.002). The presence of NAFLD was not associated with higher serum levels of hepcidin (multivariate P = 0.37). There was no association between serum hepcidin levels and liver histology (presence of steatohepatitis, advanced fibrosis, or NAFLD activity score) in the bariatric cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity, but not the presence of NAFLD was associated with serum hepcidin levels. There was no association between serum hepcidin and liver histology in the morbidly obese undergoing bariatric surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vuppalanchi
authors.forename: Jason S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Troutt
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.forename: Marwan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghabril
authors.forename: Romil
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: Lauren N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Kris V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Kowdley
authors.forename: Naga
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chalasani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D064451:Hepcidins; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D005293:Ferritins