title: Serum Hepcidin and Iron Absorption in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to correlate hepcidin levels in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] children with disease activity, inflammatory markers, and iron load test [ILT] and to compare IBD patients with coeliac and healthy patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between December 2012 and June 2013, 145 subjects [50 IBD patients, 45 coeliac patients and 50 healthy controls] were included in the study. All patients underwent the following examinations: blood count, iron status, erythropoiesis parameters, serum hepcidin, C-reactive protein [CRP], and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]. In order to evaluate the efficacy of iron absorption, ILT was performed in IBD patients. Disease activity indexes and IBD duration, localisation, and therapy were also evaluated, and a faecal sample for calprotectin collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum hepcidin was significantly higher in IBD patients with active disease compared with both coeliac and healthy patients [p = 0.005, p = 0.003 respectively]. In a multivariate logistic regression model, having a Paediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index [PCDAI] / Paediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index [PUCAI] ≥ 30 resulted in the only variable independently associated with a positive serum hepcidin (odds ratio [OR] = 6.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-33, p = 0.01]]. Patients with iron malabsorption [IM] showed higher values of ESR, CRP, and hepcidin [p = 0.02, p = 0.001, and p = 0.06, respectively]. Eight out of 12 [66.7%] children with IM showed an active disease compared with 6/31 [19.3%] children with normal ILT [p = 0.01]. Hepcidin levels correlated negatively with ILT [r = -0.451, p = 0.002], and positively with ferritin and CRP [r = 0.442, p = 0.0001; r = 0.243, p = 0.009, respectively]
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates that serum hepcidin is increased in IBD children with active disease and it is responsible for IM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Paediatrics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Naples, Italy;
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strisciuglio
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Paediatrics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alessandrella
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Naples, Italy;
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Paediatrics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Auricchio
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Natascia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Campostrini
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Girelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Naples, Italy;
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Paediatrics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy staiano@unina.it.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staiano
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Naples, Italy;
authors.forename: Silverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perrotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Paediatrics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Erasmo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miele
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D064451:Hepcidins; C545475:hepcidin 25, human; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron
keywords: Hepcidin; IBD; iron absorption