ABSTRACT
The serum levels of hepcidin generally increase in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to inflammation or a decline in the glomerular filtration rate. However, the differences in the ferrokinetics among dialysis modalities are unclear. We investigated the relationship between serum levels of hepcidin and ferritin among non-dialyzed CKD (ND), hemodialysis (HD), and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. We recruited 285 CKD patients (117 ND, 80 HD, and 88 PD patients) and measured the serum levels of hepcidin-25, ferritin, hemoglobin, iron, transferrin saturation (TSAT), albumin, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Hepcidin-25 levels were elevated in all CKD patients and were significantly higher in PD than in ND and HD patients. The hepcidin/ferritin ratio was significantly higher in PD patients independent of TSAT, hemoglobin, hs-CRP, and serum albumin. Hepcidin/ferritin ratio, associated with both dialysis modality and inflammation, is expected to be a useful indicator of anemia in CKD.
