Is it time for hepcidin to join the diagnostic toolkit for iron deficiency?

Abstract

Evaluation of: van Santen S, van Dongen-Lases EC, de Vegt F et al. Hepcidin and hemoglobin content parameters in the diagnosis of iron deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis patients with anemia. Arthritis Rheum. 63(12), 3672–3680 (2011).

The diagnostic value of hepcidin, the master regulator of iron metabolism, as an index of iron status is being intensively investigated. van Santen et al. have reported the value of hepcidin as a test for iron deficiency in both noninflamed and inflamed anemic patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Their data show that serum hepcidin identifies iron deficiency in anemic rheumatoid arthritis patients. Based on these results, the authors offer cutoffs for hepcidin and propose an algorithm to diagnose iron deficiency in this setting. This study provides insight into the physiology of hepcidin regulation in patients with coexisting iron deficiency and inflammation.

Keywords::

• anemia
• anemia of chronic disease
• diagnostic testing
• hepcidin
• inflammation
• iron deficiency
• rheumatoid arthritis

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.