Study of serum hepcidin and reticulocyte hemoglobin content in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients

Objective: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis [JRA] is frequently associated with different types of anemia. The effect of anemia and disease activity, on two iron status parameters; serum hepcidin and reticulocyte hemoglobin content [CHr], was investigated in JRA patients

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Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 43 JRA patients and 20 ages and sex matched healthy children as control. Laboratory parameters of anemia and disease activity as well as serum hepcidin and CHr were compared between patients and control Possible correlations of hepcidin and CHr with anemia and disease activity parameters were studied

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Results: All studied parameters except TIBC, serum ferritin and hepcidin showed significant differences between patients and control. Significant correlations were found between CHr and all anemia parameters except TIBC and serum ferritin while hepcidin was only correlated to serum ferritin. Both hepcidin and CHr were significantly correlated to CRP, white blood cell and neutrophil counts. Moreover, hepcidin was significantly correlated to tender joint count while CHr was significantly correlated to platelet count and swollen joint count

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Conclusion: In JRA patients, serum hepcidin was primarily affected by the acute phase state rather than anemia while CHr was affected by them both with a slight predominance of anemia over inflammation