title: Current status of iron metabolism: Clinical and therapeutic implications.
abstract: Hepcidin is the main regulator of iron metabolism and a pathogenic factor in iron disorders. Hepcidin deficiency causes iron overload, whereas hepcidin excess causes or contributes to the development of iron-restricted anaemia in chronic inflammatory diseases. We know the mechanisms involved in the synthesis of hepcidin and, under physiological conditions, there is a balance between activating signals and inhibitory signals that regulate its synthesis. The former include those related to plasmatic iron level and also those related to chronic inflammatory diseases. The most important inhibitory signals are related to active erythropoiesis and to matriptase-2. Knowing how hepcidin is synthesised has helped design new pharmacological treatments whose main target is the hepcidin. In the near future, there will be effective treatments aimed at correcting the defect of many of these iron metabolism disorders.
authors.affiliation: Medicina de Familia, Servicio Cántabro de Salud, Santander (Cantabria), España.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conde Diez
authors.affiliation: Medicina de Familia, Servicio Cántabro de Salud, Centro de Salud Bajo Asón, Ampuero (Cantabria), España.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Las Cuevas Allende
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Hematología, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander (Cantabria), España. Electronic address: euconde@humv.es.
authors.forename: Eulogio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Conde García
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D019189:Iron Metabolism Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D000098742:Ferroportin
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D064451:Hepcidins; D000098742:Ferroportin; D007501:Iron
keywords: Agonistas de la hepcidina; Antagonistas de la hepcidina; Ferroportin; Ferroportina; Hepcidin; Hepcidin agonists; Hepcidin antagonists; Hepcidina; Iron metabolism; Metabolismo del hierro