Abstract
Background: Iron deficiency is a commonly encountered problem in pregnancy and a frequently observed cause of pregnancy-associated anemia. We longitudinally assessed the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin during gestation and postpartum and related hepcidin to conventional indicators of iron status and inflammation. Methods: Thirty-one healthy pregnant women were included and 81 blood samples from the three trimesters, directly and 6 weeks postpartum were analyzed for hemoglobin, the iron parameters: iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor and hepcidin, and CRP and leucocytes as markers of inflammation. Results: Hepcidin concentration decreased gradually from the first to the second and third trimester to undetectable levels (
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1395-1401 |
Journal | Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine |
Volume | 51 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2013 |
Keywords
- hepcidin
- iron homeostasis
- physiology
- pregnancy