title: Serum hepcidin concentrations and type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Hepcidin is a peptide hormone with both paracrine and endocrine functions that help in maintaining body iron stores. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the sequelae of excess body iron stores; thus, iron regulatory hormone hepcidin may have a direct or at least an indirect role in the aetiopathogenesis of T2D. Both human and animal studies at molecular and genetic levels have attempted to establish a role for hepcidin in the development of T2D, and a few epidemiologic studies have also showed a link between hepcidin and T2D at population level, but the findings are still inconclusive. Recent data have suggested different pathways in which hepcidin could be associated with T2D with much emphasis on its primary or secondary role in insulin resistance. Some of the suggested pathways are via transcription modulator of hepcidin (STAT3); ferroportin 1 expression on the cells involved in iron transport; transmembrane protease 6 enzyme; and pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-10. This review briefly reports the existing evidence on the possible links between hepcidin and T2D and concludes that more data are needed to confirm or refute hepcidin's role in the development of T2D. Examining this role could provide a further evidence base for iron in the aetiopathogenesis of T2D.
authors.affiliation: Alex Aregbesola, Sari Voutilainen, Jyrki K Virtanen, Adeola Aregbesola, Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, FI70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aregbesola
authors.affiliation: Alex Aregbesola, Sari Voutilainen, Jyrki K Virtanen, Adeola Aregbesola, Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, FI70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voutilainen
authors.affiliation: Alex Aregbesola, Sari Voutilainen, Jyrki K Virtanen, Adeola Aregbesola, Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, FI70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Jyrki K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.affiliation: Alex Aregbesola, Sari Voutilainen, Jyrki K Virtanen, Adeola Aregbesola, Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, FI70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Adeola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aregbesola
authors.affiliation: Alex Aregbesola, Sari Voutilainen, Jyrki K Virtanen, Adeola Aregbesola, Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, FI70211 Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tomi-Pekka
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Tuomainen
keywords: Body iron; Diabetes; Insulin resistance; Serum hepcidin; Type 2 diabetes