Hepcidin-25 concentrations are markedly increased in patients with chronic kidney disease and are inversely correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rates.
BACKGROUND
Hepcidin-25 regulates iron homeostasis by binding the iron transporter ferroportin, causing its degradation. Increased hepcidin-25 causes decreased intestinal iron absorption and release from intracellular stores. Our objective in this study was to measure hepcidin-25 levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to determine if they might contribute to the anemia of CKD.


METHODS
We used a hepcidin-25-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure hepcidin-25 in 103 CKD patients and 100 healthy individuals. We assessed in CKD subjects the correlation of hepcidin-25 with creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, serum iron, transferrin, and ferritin.


RESULTS
Hepcidin-25 concentrations in CKD patients were significantly increased compared to healthy subjects (60.4 ± 6.1 μg/l vs. 3.0 ± 0.5 μg/l, P < 0.001). Hepcidin-25 concentrations were directly correlated with creatinine (R = 0.28, P = 0.004) and inversely correlated with eGFR (R = -0.32, P = 0.001). Hepcidin-25 levels were also correlated with transferrin (R = -0.28, P = 0.004) and ferritin (R = 0.80, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The direct correlation of hepcidin-25 with creatinine and its inverse correlation with eGFR suggest that hepcidin-25 levels increase as renal function deteriorates, possibly due to decreased hepcidin-25 renal clearance.
Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Jason S
JS
Troutt
Anthony M
AM
Butterfield
Robert J
RJ
Konrad
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D064451:Hepcidins; D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron
anemia; ferritin; hepcidin; immunoassay; iron