ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2010 June;169(3):77-82

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Cytokines pattern and serum pro-hepcidin in chronic hemodialysis patients

Valverde S., Fassina P., Mennella G., Trabuio E., Spinello M., Favaro P., Urso M., Antico F., Munaretto G., Gessoni G.

¹ Transfusional Service, Chioggia Civil Hospital, Chioggia, Venice, Italy 2 Nephrology and Hemodialysis Units, Chioggia Civil Hospital, Chioggia, Venice, Italy 3 Laboratory Medicine Service, Chioggia Civil Hospital, Chioggia, Venice, Italy

Aim. Hepcidin is a 25 amino acids cationic peptide, produced by hepatocytes as Pro-Hepcidin, that has a broad antibacterial action and a inhibiting action in iron intestinal absorption. Blood Pro-Hepcidin concentration was down regulated by iron overload and raised by inflammation mediators an so this molecule should play a key role in chronic disease anemia. The aim of this study was report correlation between Pro-Hepcidin concentration and cytokines in a group of chronic haemodialysis patients.
Materials and methods: we considered 61 haemodialysis patients and 34 first time blood donors. In these subjects we performed quantification of Pro-Hepcidin ad of the following cytokines: IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF alfa.
Results. We observed a statistically significant difference in Pro-Hepcidin, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNFa concentration by comparison of normal subjects and Haemodialysis patients. By using the Spearman’s method we observed a correlation between for Pro-Hepcidin and IL-1b and Il-6.
Discussion. In this study we observed a raised Pro-Hepcidin concentration in Haemodialysis patients, its concentration shown a positive correlation with IL-1b and IL-6 serum levels.
Conclusion. These data suggest that Pro-Hepcidin induction by inflammation mediators should be a component of type II acute phase response