Prohepcidin levels during human perinatal adaptation.

The aim of this study was to test for the presence of prohepcidin in cord blood, to gauge its alteration during the early postnatal period, and to look for a possible association with neonatal iron homeostasis. Cord blood and postnatal venous blood samples were taken from 20 healthy neonates. In both kinds of samples the presence prohepcidin could be detected. No association was found between cord blood and postnatal samples prohepcidin and iron homeostasis. However, an association is demonstrated between cord blood prohepcidin values and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Prohepcidin increased postnatally in half of the neonates, indicating the active synthesis of the molecule. Interestingly, neonates with detectable non-protein-bound iron levels in cord blood were presented with lower prohepcidin concentrations. Association between cord blood prohepcidin and MCHC may suggest a possible link between hepcidin and fetal iron homeostasis.