Hepcidin and Anemia of Chronic Disorders

Hepcidin is an antibacterial polypeptide which plays an important role in regulating iron homeostasis in human body.In the process of inflammation or infection,inflammatory cytokines can directly act on hepatic cells thus stimulate the expression and synthesis of hepcidin,which can inhibit iron release by the mononuclear phagocyte system as well as iron absorption in intestinal tract.This negative iron regulatory effect will lead to hypoferremia and anemia eventually.With further studies being carried out on hepcidin,it is firmly believed that a specific targeted therapy,which aims at signal transduction pathways of hepcidin,will break the circle of iron deficiency and hypoferremia at a molecular level,hence bring about revolutionary changes in the treatment of iron metabolic disorder related diseases,such as anemia of chronic disorders.