Korean J Intern Med.  2010 Jun;25(2):195-200. 10.3904/kjim.2010.25.2.195.

Serum Prohepcidin Levels in Helicobacter Pylori Infected Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia

• Lee SY
• Song EY
• Yun YM
• Yoon SY
• Cho YH
• Kim SY
• Lee MH

• KMID: 1785678
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2010.25.2.195

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection appears to subvert the human iron regulatory mechanism and thus upregulates hepcidin, resulting in unexplained iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). We evaluated serum prohepcidin levels before and after eradication of H. pylori in IDA patients to assess whether it plays a role in IDA related to H. pylori infection. METHODS: Subjects diagnosed with unexplained IDA underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy to confirm H. pylori infection and to exclude gastrointestinal bleeding. Blood was sampled before treatment to eradicate H. pylori and again 1 month later. Serum prohepcidin levels were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. RESULTS: Serum prohepcidin levels decreased significantly after oral iron replacement combined with H. pylori eradication (p = 0.011). The reduction ratio of serum prohepcidin levels after the treatment did not differ among the combined oral iron replacement and H. pylori eradication groups, the H. pylori eradication only group, and the iron replacement only group (p = 0.894). CONCLUSIONS: Serum prohepcidin levels decrease after both H. pylori eradication and oral iron administration, with improvement in IDA. Serum concentration of prohepcidin is related to the anemia status, rather than to the current status of H. pylori infection, in IDA patients.

Keyword

Prohepcidin; Anemia, iron-deficiency; Helicobacter pylori

MeSH Terms

Administration, Oral
Adult
Aged
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency/*blood/drug therapy/*microbiology
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides/*blood
Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Helicobacter Infections/*blood/*complications/pathology
*Helicobacter pylori
Humans
Iron/administration & dosage
Male
Middle Aged
Prospective Studies
Protein Precursors/*blood
Severity of Illness Index