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Decreased serum prohepcidin concentration in patients with polycythemia vera

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Abstract

Objective

Iron deficiency is a common complication in patients with polycythemia vera (PV). Hepcidin is a principal regulator of iron homeostasis. The aim of our study was to assess prohepcidin, a hepcidin precursor, and other iron status parameters in the serum of PV patients.

Methods

The study was performed in 60 patients (F/M 26/34) aged 38∼84 (66±10) years. The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers, age and sex matched. The following parameters were determined in blood serum samples: prohepcidin concentration, iron content, unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation (TfS), and concentrations of ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR).

Results

All PV patients showed significantly lower levels of prohepcidin, higher levels of sTfR and TIBC compared to the control group. 40% of the patients from the study group showed concentrations of ferritin below the normal range and significantly lower levels of serum iron and TfS, and significantly higher levels of sTfR, UIBC and TIBC in comparison with the rest of the study group. In this group of patients, prohepcidin concentrations were significantly lower than those in other patients.

Conclusion

The results indicate that PV patients suffer from iron metabolism disorders. The decreased serum level of prohepcidin in PV patients may be a result of iron deficiency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathophysiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland

    Justyna Kwapisz, Ewa Żekanowska & Joanna Jasiniewska

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  1. Justyna Kwapisz
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  2. Ewa Żekanowska
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  3. Joanna Jasiniewska
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Correspondence to Justyna Kwapisz.

Additional information

Project supported partly by the European Social Fund and the Polish Government within the Integrated Regional Development Operational Programme, the project “Scholarship for PhD Students 2008/2009-ZPORR” of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, and a grant awarded by Nicolaus Copernicus University (No. 04/2008), Poland

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Kwapisz, J., Żekanowska, E. & Jasiniewska, J. Decreased serum prohepcidin concentration in patients with polycythemia vera. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B 10, 791–795 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0920217

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0920217

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