Correlation between hepcidin level and renal anemia.

Anemia in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) is related to the chronic inflammatory state, low iron absorption rate, and low utilization rate. As a key protein for iron metabolism, hepcidin plays an important role in CRI anemia. The study aimed to determine the correlation between hepcidin level and renal anemia. Ninety CRI anemia patients treated in our hospital from February 2012 to December 2012 were enrolled in the study to compare with a healthy control group of 40 cases by measuring the hepcidin level and analyzing the correlation between hepcidin level and CRI anemia. The hepcidin level was significantly higher in the CRI anemia group than the control group; there was a positive correlation between hepcidin level and serum ferritin as well as IL-6 level. Hepcidin level was significantly related to degree of anemia, indicating that an increase in hepcidin level will result in anemia.