Hepcidin Levels Are Increased in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: Preliminary Report

Background: Our current understanding of iron balance in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is still limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate levels of iron homeostasis proteins-hepcidin (25-amino acid form) and soluble hemojuvelin (sHJV) together with hepcidin/sHJV ratio (Hepc/sHJV) and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) in patients with AIS. In addition, the effect of timing of blood collection, type of stroke treatment, and scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale were investigated. Methods: Participants comprised 31 patients diagnosed with AIS and 20 matched healthy controls. Venous blood samples were drawn on the first day and on the seventh day after stroke onset. Individuals who had experienced a stroke were subdivided according to type of treatment (thrombolysis group, n = 12 versus nonthrombolysis group, n = 19). Plasma hepcidin, sHJV, and sTfR levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results: We found that plasma hepcidin levels were significantly higher in ischemic stroke patients compared with the control group (median, 19.82 versus 12.62 ng/mL, P = .04). Furthermore, levels of hepcidin on the seventh day (1 week after diagnosis) were significantly higher in patients treated with thrombolysis than in patients not treated with thrombolysis (median, 22.16 versus 16.21 ng/mL, P = .04). Conclusions: The study provides evidence that AIS is associated with increased hepcidin levels. Stroke treatment may have an influence on hepcidin synthesis.