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Urinary hepcidin level as an early predictor of iron deficiency in children: A case control study

Mohammed Sanad1, Amal F Gharib

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt. zanad_zanad2005@yahoo.com

Italian Journal of Pediatrics
|August 13, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Urinary hepcidin-25 levels can predict iron deficiency in children before anemia develops. This non-invasive test shows lower levels with increasing iron deficiency severity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Hematology
  • Biochemistry
  • Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

  • Early detection of iron deficiency (ID) is crucial, ideally before anemia manifests.
  • Current screening methods may not identify iron deficiency in its earliest stages.
  • Hepcidin, a key iron-regulating hormone, is a potential biomarker for iron status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the role of urinary hepcidin-25 levels in the early prediction of iron deficiency in children.
  • To assess the correlation between urinary hepcidin-25 and established iron status parameters.
  • To determine the diagnostic accuracy of urinary hepcidin-25 for different stages of iron deficiency.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 100 children (25 each of ID stage-1, ID stage-2, ID stage-3, and healthy controls).
  • Measurement of iron status parameters including hemoglobin, ferritin, and transferrin.
  • Quantification of urinary hepcidin-25 levels and correlation with clinical parameters.

Main Results:

  • Urinary hepcidin-25 levels were significantly lower in all stages of iron deficiency compared to controls.
  • A progressive decrease in urinary hepcidin-25 was observed with increasing severity of iron deficiency.
  • Urinary hepcidin-25 demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in predicting all stages of iron deficiency, with specific cutoff values established for each stage.

Conclusions:

  • Urinary hepcidin-25 is a simple, non-invasive biomarker for early iron deficiency detection in children.
  • This marker can predict iron deficiency before the onset of hematological changes like anemia.
  • Urinary hepcidin-25 offers a promising tool for early diagnosis and management of pediatric iron deficiency.
Abstract

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