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Hepcidin Levels in Response to Oral Iron Therapy in Children with Anemia

Tanya Singh1, Shilpa Khanna Arora2, Parul Goyal3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Baba Kharag Singh Marg, New Delhi, India.

Indian Pediatrics
|June 24, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Serum hepcidin levels increase rapidly within 24 hours of starting oral iron therapy in children with iron deficiency anemia. This early rise in hepcidin suggests its potential as an indicator for treatment response.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pediatric Hematology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a prevalent global health issue in children.
  • Hepcidin is a key regulator of iron metabolism, and its levels in iron deficiency anemia are typically low.
  • Understanding hepcidin dynamics during iron repletion is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the change in serum hepcidin-25 levels during the first two weeks of oral iron therapy in pediatric patients with IDA.
  • To investigate the correlation between serum hepcidin-25 level changes and hemoglobin (Hb) level changes in response to oral iron treatment.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective observational study included 64 children aged 2-12 years diagnosed with IDA.
  • Exclusion criteria included severe anemia, infections, recent iron intake, or blood transfusions.
  • Serum hepcidin-25 was measured using ELISA at baseline, 24 hours, and 14 days after initiating oral iron therapy.

Main Results:

  • Serum hepcidin-25 levels significantly increased from baseline (7.81 ng/mL) at 24 hours (8.38 ng/mL) and day 14 (9.51 ng/mL) of oral iron therapy (P < 0.001).
  • A good therapeutic response to oral iron was observed in 63 out of 64 children.
  • No significant correlation was found between baseline hepcidin levels and the change in hemoglobin at day 1 (r = -0.10, P = 0.40) or day 14 (r = -0.10, P = 0.43).

Conclusions:

  • Oral iron therapy leads to a significant and rapid increase in serum hepcidin levels in children with IDA, detectable as early as 24 hours.
  • The early rise in serum hepcidin warrants further investigation as a potential biomarker for assessing the response to oral iron therapy in pediatric anemia.
  • Hepcidin dynamics provide insights into the body's iron regulatory response during treatment.
Abstract

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