Iron-Regulating Hormone Hepcidin Measured in Blood

A test has been developed that measures hepcidin, a key hormone that regulates iron in blood.

When levels of the hormone are too high, the availability of iron is blocked, leading to conditions such as anemia of chronic disease (anemia of inflammation). When levels are low, too much iron is absorbed from the diet and released into the blood, leading to iron toxicity and conditions like hemochromatosis or iron overload disease.

Currently used tests do not measure hepcidin but instead measure some of its direct and indirect effects on iron and the iron-binding proteins: transferrin, and ferritin. The new blood test directly measures hepcidin, providing more information to clinicians to help diagnose conditions and monitor the levels of this important hormone in their patients--leading to efficient management of these chronic diseases.

The test for hepcidin was developed by Dr. Tomas Ganz, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA; Los Angeles, CA, USA), and Mark Westerman, Ph.D., CEO of Intrinsic LifeSciences, LLC (San Diego, CA, USA). This is the first test that measures the amount of the hormone that regulates the absorption of dietary iron and its distribution in the body. The new blood test will help clinicians manage chronic conditions affecting millions of people worldwide such as anemia and iron overload.

Development of the test is described in the August 8, 2008, online issue of the journal Blood.

Related Links:
University of California in Los Angeles
Intrinsic LifeSciences