Hepcidin Levels in Patients with Lung Cancer

Background:

Hepcidin is a 25 amino acid peptide produced by the liver and plays a key role in iron homeostasis. It regulates the serum iron concentration by binding and inhibiting ferroportin, a transmembrane protein causing iron efflux. Anemia is a common complication in patients with cancer and is caused by the interaction of the tumor cells and the immune system resulting in the expression of various inflammatory cytokines which cause changes in iron metabolism resulting in anemia. Elevated levels of hepcidin have been noted in patients with various cancers. A better understanding of anemia in cancer patients may lead to a more effective and safe treatment of cancer induced anemia, possibly by targeting hepcidin.

Methods:

Blood samples of patients with lung cancer before treatment, with any histology or stage were obtained from the Brown Cancer Center’s Clinical Data and Specimen Repository. Ferritin and hemoglobin level were performed on each sample at the University of Louisville laboratory. The deidentified samples of plasma were then tested by a chemiluminescence kit for determination of the hepcidin level.

Results:

Plasma of 30 patients with lung cancer was available for testing.

There was no correlation seen between the hepcidin level and age, race, sex, lung cancer histology and stage. Hepcidin has a Pearson correlation of 0.66 with ferritin levels. The range of ferritin was 8.7 to 765 ng/ml and hepcidin 349 to 411321 pg/ml.

Conclusions:

Hepcidin correlates with ferritin in lung cancer patients. Targeting hepcidin in lung cancer patients may be a treatment option for cancer induced anemia.