Serum prohepcidin and hepcidin levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A prospective study [Romatoid artritli hastalarda serum hepsidin ve prohepsidin düzeyleri: Prospektif çali{dotless}şma]

Objective: Anemia of chronic disease is a common feature of active rheumatoid arthritis. Hepcidin is an acute-phase protein with specific iron regulatory properties, which along with the anemia seen with increased hepcidin expression, have led many to consider it the major mediator of anemia of chronic disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of hepcidin and its prohormone, prohepcidin, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in comparison with healthy controls. Material and Methods: Fifty patients with RA and twenty healthy adults were prospectively enrolled. Complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum hepcidin, prohepcidin, iron, total iron binding capacity, ferritin, transferrin and C-reactive protein levels were measured. Results: Serum prohepcidin and hepcidin levels were significantly higher in patients with RA compared to healthy controls (p=0.010). In patients with RA, a positive correlation was determined between the serum hepcidin and prohepcidin levels (r=0.725, p<0.001). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hepcidin and prohepcidin are strongly associated with disease activity in RA patients and might play a significant role in the pathobiology of anemia of chronic disease associated with RA. Future studies to determine serum levels of hepcidin at different time points during the clinical course of RA patients will be needed to confirm our results. © 2013 by Türkiye Klinikleri.