The importance of iron metabolism, hepcidine and soluble transferrin receptor in pathogenesis of anemia in patients with solid tumors

A comparative analysis of hemogram parameters, iron metabolism, C-reactive protein, hepcidin, soluble transferrin receptor in patients with malignant neoplasms, accompanied by anaemia and without it. Patients with anaemia compared with non-anaemic patients had lower haemoglobin, erythrocyte, hematocrit, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, iron, iron transferrin saturation, total iron-binding capacity, and higher levels C-reactive protein, hepcidin, soluble transferrin receptor (p<0,05). Negative correlations of moderate strength between hepcidin and erythrocyte levels (r=-0,41), hemoglobin (r=-0,3), hematocrit (r=-0,35), and total iron-binding capacity (r=-0,51) and transferrin (r=-0,54). In addition, negative correlations of moderate strength were revealed between the soluble transferrin receptor and hemoglobin level (r=-0,57), hematocrit (r -0,49), iron transferrin saturation (r=-0,47), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (r=-0,44), mean corpuscular volume (r=-0,39). A direct correlation of moderate strength was found between the soluble transferrin receptor and transferrin (r=0,41) and total iron-binding capacity (r=0,38), as well as between hepcidin and ferritin (r=0,61), C-reactive protein (r=0,48). In general, the development of functional iron deficiency in patients with anaemia and malignant neoplasms has been established, and the value of hepcidin and soluble transferrin receptor in the genesis of this anaemia has been confirmed.

malignant neoplasms, anaemia, inflammation, iron metabolism, hepcidin, soluble transferrin receptor, functional iron deficiency, C-reactive protein