title: Hepcidin is linked to hypoferremia in patients with rheumatic valve disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepcidin has been shown to be an acute phase reactant, induced by infection and inflammation. Ongoing inflammation was shown in rheumatic valve disease (RVD). In this study we want to investigate whether there is a relationship between inflammation and impaired iron metabolism and the role of hepcidin on serum iron levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourty-six patients with RVD and 34 healthy individuals were included in the study. Serum hepcidin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), hemoglobin, hematocrit, iron, iron-binding capacity, ferritin levels were measured. Serum hepcidin levels were significantly increased in patients with RVD than in control group (316 ± 121 ng/mL vs 435 ± 126 ng/mL; P < .001). Serum hs-CRP levels were no significantly higher in the patient group in than in the control group (3.9 ± 3.6 mg/L vs 3.5 ± 3.7 mg/L; P = .521).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepcidin levels are decreased independently from hs-CRP levels as a compensatory mechanism to increase the iron absorption in response to decreased serum iron levels in patients with RVD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akçay
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ekrem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yeter
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey huseyinayhan44@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Durmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Telat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keleş
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ankara Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Haci Ahmet
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kasapkara
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ankara Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bilen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D064451:Hepcidins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron
keywords: hepcidin; iron metabolism; rheumatic valve disease