November 2014 Vol. 2 No. 11

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Original Research Article

Anemia in chronic dialysis patients – the right therapeutic choice?

Manolov V.^1*, Yonova D.², Vazelov E.², Atanasova B.¹, Velizarova M.¹, Vasilev V.¹, Tzatchev K.¹ and Bogov I.³

¹Department of Clinical Laboratory and Clinical Immunology, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria
²Dialysis Center, University Hospital “Aleksandrovska”, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria
³National Cardiological Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: victhedoc2@yahoo.com
Tel: +359 2 9230 928
Fax: +359 2 9230 922
GSM: +359 887 222 069

Accepted November 08, 2014

Abstract

Hepcidin is a 25-aminoacid cysteine-rich iron regulating peptide. Hepcidin quantification in human serum provides new topics for the pathogenesis of disorders of iron homeostasis and its treatment. This study describes ELISA immunoassay for hepcidin quantification in human serum in chronic dialysis patients. We use a sandwich ELISA method to quantificate serum hepcidin levels in healthy control group (n=55) and patients on chronic dialysis (n=32). Including criteria for control group was no evidence of iron metabolism disorders. The sandwich ELISA was highly specific for hepcidin-25. We found that serum hepcidin levels correlate significantly between two groups 13.1 ± 8.7 µg/L to 262.5 ± 53.5 µg/L. Ferritin levels and hemoglobin concentration in reticulocytes correlated significantly to serum hepcidin levels (0.3 < r < 0.5, P < 0.001). Transferrine levels showed negative and no significant correlation to hepcidin in serum (r = -0.111). The use of 2 monoclonal antibodies in a sandwich ELISA format provides a reliable, reproducible and not very expensive method for measuring serum concentrations of the bioactive form of hepcidin in Bulgarian laboratory practice.

Keywords: Hepcidin, Iron Deficiency Anemia, Reference Ranges