The iron regulatory hormone hepcidin is decreased in pregnancy: a prospective longitudinal study

Susanne van Santen, Joyce J. C. Kroot, Gerard Zijderveld, Erwin T. Wiegerinck, Marc E. A. Spaanderman, Dorine W. Swinkels*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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 languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1395-1401
JournalClinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
Volume51
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2013

Keywords

  • hepcidin
  • iron homeostasis
  • physiology
  • pregnancy

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