The Evaluation of the Role of (Pro)hepcidin in Anemia Encountered in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Abstract

Objective: Hepcidin is a peptide that acts as a hormone that provides iron homeostasis in the body and has antimicrobial activity. The synthesis of hepcidin is stimulated during inflammation and causes inflammation anemia. For this purpose, we aimed to determine the role of (pro)hepcidin in anemia in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and its correlation with clinical and biochemical findings. Materials and Methods: A total of 61 patients, 19 (31.1%) of whom were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease (CD), 42 (68.9%) with ulcerative colitis (UC), and a control group of 23 were included. Hepcidin and biochemical parameters which are related to anemia were measured. Results: There was a significant difference between the CD group and vs control group in terms of hepcidin level. As the disease activity increases, the hepcidin level decreases with a probability of 83%. Hepcidin levels were found to be significantly lower in the CD group. Although hepcidin levels were lower in the UC group than in the control group, the result was not statistically significant. Conclusion: We didn’t detect a statistically significant difference in the level of hepcidin between IBD and the control group.