Hepcidin and iron status in pregnant women and full-term newborns in first days of life

Abstract

The amount of iron is regulated by hepcidin. The aim of the study was to assess hepcidin concentrations in healthy pregnant women before delivery, in cord blood, and in 3-day-old newborns in relation to maternal and neonatal iron status. The study group consisted of 44 mother-newborn pairs. Serum concentrations of hepcidin, ferritin, and transferrin receptor (sTfR) were assessed. Maternal hepcidin was significantly lower than cord blood (p < 0.001), and full-term newborn values (p < 0.001). Mothers also had the lowest ferritin and sTfR concentrations. The highest concentration of hepcidin was observed in the newborns. They had lower sTfR and higher ferritin concentrations than in cord blood (p < 0.001). Maternal ferritin correlated negatively with sTfR (R = -0.50 p = 0.005), and positively with hepcidin (R = 0.41; p = 0.005). There were no correlations between hepcidin and ferritin or sTfR concentrations in cord blood, nor between hepcidin and ferritin or sTfR concentrations in the newborns. Moreover, there were no correlations between maternal and cord blood or neonatal blood hepcidin, nor between maternal hepcidin and infant iron status. There were also no correlations between hepcidin in cord blood and hepcidin or parameters of the iron status in the children. It may be assumed that a relatively low concentration of hepcidin in women in late pregnancy facilitates their iron accumulation. Higher levels of hepcidin in full-term newborns than in their mothers may be the result of a relatively high level of iron from the stored supplies. Neonatal iron status was independently associated with either maternal or cord blood hepcidin.