Role of Serum Hepcidin levels in the Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Children in Saudi Arabia

Hepcidin, produced in the liver, is a key regulator of systemic iron metabolism. This study aimed to estimate the significance of hepcidin for diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among children and to determine whether routine hematological parameters and iron profile correlate with hepcidin levels in children in Saudi Arabia. Blood samples from children were analyzed for hematology parameters, iron profile and hepcidin-25. A total of 128 children were classified according to hemoglobin level and iron parameters as: IDA (N=97; mean age 5 ±3.5 years) and normal control (N=31; mean age 5.5 ±3.2 years). Significantly lower levels of hemoglobin (p=0.003), serum iron (p=0.001), serum ferritin (p=0.001), transferrin saturation (p=0.002), and hepcidin-25 (p= 0.002) were obtained in children with IDA as compared to normal control group. Significantly high levels of total iron binding capacity (p=0.002) were noted in IDA group. Positive correlation was observed between hepcidin-25 and serum ferritin (r=0.660), serum iron (r=0.374), transferrin saturation (r=0.317) and hemoglobin levels (r=0.246). Low levels of serum hepcidin are significantly associated with lower iron parameters in children, and could be useful indicator of IDA.