Hepcidin and iron metabolism in preterm infants

Sufeng Ruan; Sufei Yang; Jinrong Li; Fei Xiong; Di Qie; You Lu; Zhanghui Tang; Fan Yang; Sufeng Ruan; Sufei Yang; Jinrong Li; Fei Xiong; Di Qie; You Lu; Zhanghui Tang; Fan Yang

doi:10.3934/molsci.2023008

AIMS Molecular Science

2023, Volume 10, Issue 2: 99-108. doi: 10.3934/molsci.2023008

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Research article

Hepcidin and iron metabolism in preterm infants

Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China

Received: 16 December 2022 Revised: 15 March 2023 Accepted: 30 March 2023 Published: 21 April 2023

Background
Iron deficiency (ID) and ID anemia are widespread in low-income countries, particularly among preterm infants. Hepcidin is a key regulator of iron metabolism, which offers the possibility of new solutions to diagnose ID in premature infants.

Objective
To explore the relationship between iron metabolism and hepcidin in premature infants.

Materials and methods
The study involved 81 preterm infants between 28⁺¹ and 36⁺⁶ who underwent iron status indicators and hepcidin testing at 6 months of corrected gestational age. The preterm infants were divided into two groups based on iron status indicators: ID and no ID.

Results
Serum hepcidin was lower for premature infants with ID compared to those without ID (log₁₀hepcidin, 1.18 ± 0.44 vs 1.49 ± 0.37, p = 0.002). A single-variate linear regression model was used to explore the correlation between hepcidin and other indicators of iron metabolism. A strongly positive relationship was observed between hepcidin levels and ferritin levels (p < 0.001) in the correlation analysis.

Conclusions
Hepcidin can be used as an efficient indicator of iron storage and a promising indicator for the early diagnosis of ID in premature infants.
- hepcidin,
- iron deficiency,
- iron deficiency anemia,
- iron metabolism,
- preterm infants
Citation: Sufeng Ruan, Sufei Yang, Jinrong Li, Fei Xiong, Di Qie, You Lu, Zhanghui Tang, Fan Yang. Hepcidin and iron metabolism in preterm infants[J]. AIMS Molecular Science, 2023, 10(2): 99-108. doi: 10.3934/molsci.2023008

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Abstract

Background

Iron deficiency (ID) and ID anemia are widespread in low-income countries, particularly among preterm infants. Hepcidin is a key regulator of iron metabolism, which offers the possibility of new solutions to diagnose ID in premature infants.

Objective

To explore the relationship between iron metabolism and hepcidin in premature infants.

Materials and methods

The study involved 81 preterm infants between 28⁺¹ and 36⁺⁶ who underwent iron status indicators and hepcidin testing at 6 months of corrected gestational age. The preterm infants were divided into two groups based on iron status indicators: ID and no ID.

Results

Serum hepcidin was lower for premature infants with ID compared to those without ID (log₁₀hepcidin, 1.18 ± 0.44 vs 1.49 ± 0.37, p = 0.002). A single-variate linear regression model was used to explore the correlation between hepcidin and other indicators of iron metabolism. A strongly positive relationship was observed between hepcidin levels and ferritin levels (p < 0.001) in the correlation analysis.

Conclusions

Hepcidin can be used as an efficient indicator of iron storage and a promising indicator for the early diagnosis of ID in premature infants.

Acknowledgments

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by a Ministry of Science and Technology's national key scientific research project grant (Research on Environmental Risk Prevention and Control of Bad Birth Outcomes Based on Multi-center Collaboration Network; 2019YFC0840702-1).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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