Serum Prohepcidin Levels in Children with Thalassemia Major and Intermedia

Objective: To determine the role of hepcidin hormone levels in iron accumulation in patients with thalassemia major (TM) and thalassemia intermedia (TI). Materials and Methods: Serum prohepcidin and ferritin levels were determined in 34 patient with TM, 10 patient with TI, who attended the Department of Pediatric Hematology Adnan Menderes University Medical Faculty and the Department of Pediatrics at Aydın Atatürk State Hospital between 1 September 2006 and 30 September 2007 and 40 control patients without infection/inflammation, hepatitis or liver failure. Serum prohepcidin levels were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (DRG International, Inc. Marburg, Germany); ferritin was studied with chemiluminescence method (Immulite 2000 DPC). Results: Mean serum ferritin levels in TM, TI and control groups were 2347.97±1724.81 ng/mL (range: 144-8015 ng/mL), 1352.40±918.94 ng/mL (range: 311-3109 ng/mL), and 33.35±12.03 ng/mL (range: 20-69.1 ng/mL), respectively. Serum prohepcidin levels in the same groups were 221.78±74.38 ng/mL (range: 7l.14-446.57 ng/mL), 173.31±52.14 ng/mL (range: 100.83-267.69 ng/mL), and 218.20±50.37 ng/mL (range: 116.18-330.43 ng/mL), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in prohepcidin levels between patients with TI and control group only (p=0.016). No correlation was found between prohepcidin and ferritin levels in all groups (r=-0.023, p=0.839). Conclusion: Low levels of prohepcidin in patients with TI may be related to increased erythropoietic activity. Prohepcidin can be an indicator of active erythropoiesis.