Journal Article Review Epublish
PubMed: 38396414 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14040375
Potential Diagnostic Role of Hepcidin in Anemic Patients Affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review.
Diagnostics (Basel) 14(4)
Authors: Fabiana Ferrari, Mattia Carini, Isabella Zanella, Giorgio Treglia, Gaetano Luglio, Roberto Bresciani, Giorgio Biasiotto
Affiliations
- Pediatrics, Mother's and Baby's Health Department, Poliambulanza Foundation Hospital Insitute, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
- Highly Specialized Laboratory, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
- Section of Genetics and Cytogenetics, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
- Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6501 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland.
- Endoscopic Surgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Gastrointestinal Disease, "Federico II" University, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Anemia is the main extraintestinal comorbidity of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Differentiating the type of anemia in these disorders is still a challenge. Hepcidin could be a promising biomarker to identify iron deficiency anemia (IDA), anemia of chronic disease (ACD) and the concomitant presence of both IDA and ACD.
METHODS
To evaluate the potential role of hepcidin dosage in the management of anemia in IBD patients, we performed a systematic review by a comprehensive literature analysis of original papers reporting the dosage of hepcidin in IBD patients. In all the articles reviewed, the dosage of ferritin was reported, and the correlation between hepcidin and ferritin has been used to compare these two biomarkers.
RESULTS
A total of 12 articles concerning the dosage of hepcidin in IBD were included, comprising in total of 976 patients. The results of the hepcidin values in IBD patients when compared with controls were conflicting. In fact, four articles described an increase in this biomarker, three showed a decrease and five did not find significant differences. The correlation with ferritin was positive and significant. In three studies, some differences between hepcidin dosages and ferritin levels indicate a possible role when IDA and ACD could be present at the same time.
CONCLUSIONS
Considering the contradictory data of the studies, the diagnostic role of hepcidin as a biomarker remains elusive in IBD patients. These differences could be due to the clinical characteristics of the patients enrolled that should be better defined in the future. A suitable clinical trial should be designed to outline the possible role of hepcidin in differentiating IDA, ACD and concomitant IDA and ACD in IBD patients. At the moment, ferritin still remains the best marker to diagnose these conditions, in addition to hemoglobin, transferrin saturation and CRP as recommended by the ECCO guidelines.
MeSH
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Biomarkers, Hepcidins, Ferritins