POS0567 HEPCIDIN IS POTENTIAL BIOMARKER TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA AND ANEMIA OF INFLAMMATION IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Abstract

Background:Anemia of inflammation (AI) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are the two most prevalent forms of anemia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Diagnosis becomes challenging if AI is associated with true ID (AI/ID), as there is still a lack of a gold standard for differentiation between AI and AI/ID. However, as therapies to overcome anemia differ, proper diagnosis and understanding of underlying pathophysiological regulations are necessary.Objectives:The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical efficiency of hepcidin, a key regulator of iron metabolism, in the diagnosis of IDA, as well as the differential diagnosis of AI/ID and AI in patients with RA.Methods:The study was undertaken 96 patients with RA, 67 of them were diagnosed anemia according to WHO criteria (104,3±21,4 g/l). Anemic patients and anemia-free patients with RA (n=29) were comparable (p>0.05) in age (44.4±14.8 and 49.8±9.3 years), disease duration (73.5±65.4 and 59.8±48.3 months) and DAS28 (6.3±1.6 and 5.9±1.9). All cases were subjected to following tests: complete blood count with peripheral smear, serum C-reactive protein, serum interleukin-6, iron studies, serum soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and serum hepcidin. Patients with RA and anemia were divided two groups: 25 patients with IDA and 42 - with AI. The AI cases were subdivided into pure AI and AI with coexistent ID (n=15).Results:The mean serum hepcidin concentration was significantly increased in pure AI patients (123.85±25.8 ng/mL) as compared to those in IDA patients (63.9±22.8 ng/mL, P < 0.05) and anemia-free patients with RA (88.1±39.09 ng/mL). Also, compared to pure AI patients [normal sTfR levels (<3 µg/mL)], the serum hepcidin concentration was reduced significantly in AI patients with ID [high sTfR levels (≥3 µg/mL)] with a mean of 79.0±23.97 ng/mL.Conclusion:Hepcidin measurement can provide a useful tool for differentiating AI from IDA and also help to identify an iron deficiency in AI patients. This might aid in the appropriate selection of therapy for these patients.Disclosure of Interests:None declared