title: Pathobiochemical Mechanisms Relating Iron Homeostasis to Parameters of Inflammatory Activity and Autoimmune Disorders in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
abstract: To find the correlations between the parameters of iron homeostasis, inflammatory activity and autoimmune disorders in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  
  The present study included 114 patients with RA and 42 healthy controls. We determined the parameters of iron homeostasis: serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), the parameters of inflammatory activity: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and prohepcidin, and the parameters of autoimmune disorders: rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (antiCCP) antibodies, and DAS 28.
  
  
  
  The levels of sTfR, CRP, IL-6 and prohepcidin were significantly higher in RA patients than those in the controls and the level of serum iron was significantly lower in RA than that in the control group. Unlike the controls, in RA, there was a significant positive correlation of sTfR with the parameters of inflammatory activity (IL-6, prohepcidin, ESR) and with the parameters of autoimmune disorders (DAS 28, RF, antiCCP). A negative correlation of serum iron with sTfR was found only in RA patients. Prohepcidin positively correlated with the parameters of inflammation (CRP, ESR) and with the parameters for evaluation of autoimmune disorders (DAS 28 and RF) in the RA group.
  
  
  
  Our study shows that the simultaneous determination of the two parameters sTfR and prohepcidin is most informative in evaluating the changes in iron homeostasis in RA. The increase of both parameters provides information for tissue iron deficiency (assessed by the level of sTfR), caused by the inflammation when prohepcidin is expressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Katya I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Stefanova
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Ginka T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Delcheva
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Maneva
authors.affiliation: Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Anastas Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Batalov
authors.affiliation: Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Mariela G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Geneva-Popova
authors.affiliation: Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Rositza V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Karalilova
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry and Computer Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv,
  Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Kiril K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Simitchiev
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000276:immunology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000276:immunology; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000276:immunology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D064451:Hepcidins; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; C487763:cyclic citrullinated peptide; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor; D007501:Iron