title: Impact of hepcidin antimicrobial peptide on iron overload in tuberculosis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron acquisition is essential for the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Hepcidin is known as an antimicrobial peptide and a component of the innate immune response. Hepcidin inhibits M. tuberculosis growth in vitro. In this study, we decided to identify -582A> G variants of the HAMP promoter in patients with tuberculosis (TB) and investigate its effect on serum iron, ferritin, and hepcidin levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample population consisted of 105 patients with TB and 104 healthy individuals. The -582A> G polymorphism was genotyped using a tetra-primers PCR set. Serum levels of hepcidin were determined using an ELISA kit. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The G allele is meaningfully associated with TB disease (95% confidence interval = 2-4.8, p < 0.000). Significant differences were seen in the levels of serum iron and hepcidin but not ferritin between the -582A>G polymorphism genotypes. There was significant reverse correlation between hepcidin and iron (r = -0.849, p = 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high association was found between serum hepcidin levels and the HAMP -582A> G variants in patients with TB. These observations indicate a hypothetical role of this polymorphism in iron metabolism. Hepcidin could perhaps be an option for the treatment of TB.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Research Center and Laboratory Science Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences , Gorgan , Iran.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Javaheri-Kermani
authors.forename: Touraj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Farazmandfar
authors.forename: Abolghasem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ajami
authors.forename: Yaghoub
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazdani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D005838:Genotype; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D017354:Point Mutation; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron
keywords: Hepcidin; iron; polymorphism; tuberculosis