Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 21, 2025

Mouse Fetal Liver Culture System to Dissect Target Gene Functions at the Early and Late Stages of Terminal Erythropoiesis
06:40

Mouse Fetal Liver Culture System to Dissect Target Gene Functions at the Early and Late Stages of Terminal Erythropoiesis

Published on: September 9, 2014

15.5K

Is the erythropoietin-erythroferrone-hepcidin axis intact in human neonates?

Timothy M Bahr1, Diane M Ward2, Xuan Jia3

  • 1Division of Neonatology, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

Blood Cells, Molecules & Diseases
|January 15, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The newborn iron regulation pathway involving erythropoietin (Epo), erythroferrone (ERFE), and hepcidin is functional. This pathway remains intact in neonates, even those born preterm or to mothers with diabetes and obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal physiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Iron homeostasis is crucial for neonatal development.
  • The erythropoietin (Epo)/erythroferrone (ERFE)/hepcidin axis is a key regulator of iron metabolism.
  • Understanding this axis in neonates is essential for managing iron status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the Epo/ERFE/hepcidin pathway in human neonates.
  • To compare iron-related metrics in term, preterm, and neonates born to mothers with diabetes/obesity.
  • To evaluate the pathway's response to darbepoetin administration.

Main Methods:

  • Quantified Epo, ERFE, hepcidin, ferritin, and RET-He in umbilical cord blood.
  • Analyzed samples from term (n=13), preterm (n=10), and neonates of mothers with diabetes/obesity (n=13).
  • Measured serum Epo, ERFE, and hepcidin before and after darbepoetin administration.

Main Results:

  • Epo and ERFE levels did not differ significantly across groups.
  • Preterm neonates showed the lowest hepcidin levels.
  • Neonates born to mothers with diabetes/obesity had lower ferritin and RET-He.
  • Darbepoetin increased ERFE and decreased hepcidin levels (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • The Epo/ERFE/hepcidin hormonal pathway is intact in the newborn period.
  • This axis appears functional in neonates, regardless of gestational age or maternal health conditions.
  • The findings support the role of this pathway in neonatal iron regulation.

Keywords:
ErythroferroneErythropoietinHepcidinIronRET-HeSupplementation

More Related Videos

Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes08:45

Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes

Published on: May 10, 2022

2.2K
Identification and Analysis of Mouse Erythroid Progenitors using the CD71/TER119 Flow-cytometric Assay15:32

Identification and Analysis of Mouse Erythroid Progenitors using the CD71/TER119 Flow-cytometric Assay

Published on: August 5, 2011

33.3K

Related Concept Videos

Erythropoiesis01:14

Erythropoiesis

Red blood cells  (RBCs) transport oxygen to all body tissues. These cells survive only for 120 days and then need to be replenished. Erythropoiesis is the process of RBC production. In healthy individuals, erythropoiesis ensures all tissues are amply supplied with oxygen. In addition, blood loss due to injury leads to a drop in the physiological oxygen level that will cause erythropoiesis. Any defect in erythropoiesis leads to several physiological disorders, including thalassemia, anemia,...
5.3K
Lifecycle of Erythrocytes01:22

Lifecycle of Erythrocytes

Erythrocytes, also known as red blood cells, constantly move through blood capillaries. As a result, they damage their plasma membrane due to the continuous friction. Typically, after 100 to 120 days, erythrocytes become rigid and fragile as they wear out. As they pass through small vessels in the spleen and liver, they can get trapped and break apart into fragments.
The resident phagocytic macrophages deal with these damaged cells by engulfing them and separating their globin and heme groups....
3.8K
Factors Affecting Erythropoiesis01:24

Factors Affecting Erythropoiesis

The cardiovascular system regulates the number of erythrocytes in the bloodstream to ensure optimal oxygen transport. It also prevents over-proliferation of these cells, which helps to maintain blood viscosity and flow rate.
Several factors influence the erythrocyte production rate, with tissue oxygen level being among the most critical. Intense exercise or high altitudes can cause tissue hypoxia, which triggers the kidneys to release more erythropoietin (EPO) into the bloodstream.
EPO then...
4.7K
Role of Hematopoietic Growth Factors01:28

Role of Hematopoietic Growth Factors

Hematopoietic growth factors are molecules that regulate the differentiation rate of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Erythropoietin (EPO), primarily produced by the kidneys, plays a crucial role in erythrocyte production. When oxygen levels in the blood are low, EPO is released into the bloodstream, reaching the bone marrow, where it stimulates HSCs to differentiate and mature into erythrocytes, which are vital for oxygen transport.
Thrombopoietin (TPO), mainly released by the liver,...
2.6K
The Early Endosome: Endocytosis of Transferrin01:28

The Early Endosome: Endocytosis of Transferrin

Essential proteins such as insulin or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and micronutrients such as iron enter a eukaryotic cell through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Subsequently, the early endosomes fuse with the vesicles containing such receptor-ligand complexes and play a vital role in sorting the incoming ligands and receptors. While the ligands are either degraded inside the vesicle or released into the cytosol, their receptors are returned to the plasma membrane for further rounds of...
4.3K
Rh Blood Group01:19

Rh Blood Group

The Rhesus (Rh) antigen is crucial in determining blood groups and ensuring compatibility during blood transfusions.
2.4K