Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to quantify hepcidin in horse serum

Hepcidin (Hepc) is a peptide hormone primarily produced by hepatocytes and considered the master regulator of iron homeostasis, with Hepc controlling the release of iron within the circulation. Despite the renewed interest in iron-related research due to Hepc discovery, there is limited data on serum hepcidin in horses. The objective of the study was to develop and partially validate a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to quantify serum hepcidin in horses. Precision was evaluated using horse serum samples representing low, medium, and high Hepc concentrations, yielding intra-assay coefficients of variation (CV) of 6.6, 4.5, and 3.5% and inter-assay CVs of 9.9, 10.4, and 8.6%. Accuracy was assessed using an 8-point standard curve. Serum samples from 149 horses and 8 diseased foals were analyzed using a partially validated competitive ELISA. Serum hepcidin (n = 149) averaged 62.6 ± 46.44 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). Further data is needed to continue to quantify serum hepcidin in horses.