Elevated Hepcidin Levels in Obese Children with Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Case-Control Study | ||||
| International Journal of Medical Arts | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 June 2025 | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ijma.2025.284030.1957 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
Heba Adlan El Emam El Ema Kobia  1; Hussien Metwally Abd Elmaksoud2; Mahmoud Farag Salem3; Mohammed Abo Al-maaty2, 4; Dina Elbayaa5
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| 1Department of Pediatrics, Farskour Regional Hospital, Ministry of Health, Damietta, Egypt | ||||
| 2Department of Pediatrics, Damietta Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Damietta, Egypt | ||||
| 3Department of Clinical Pathology, Damietta Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Damietta, Egypt | ||||
| 4Department of Pediatrics, General Medicine Practice Program, Batterjee Medical College, Aseer, 62432, Saudi Arabia | ||||
| 5Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and childhood obesity are both prevalent global health issues. Emerging evidence suggests a complex interaction between obesity-induced inflammation and iron metabolism, potentially mediated by the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin. Aim of the work: To evaluate the association between obesity and serum hepcidin levels in children with iron deficiency anemia and to determine whether obesity alters iron status through inflammatory modulation. Patients and Methods: A case-control study was conducted on 50 children aged 2–17 years diagnosed with IDA at the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic of Al-Azhar University Hospital, New Damietta, between November 2022 and March 2024. Participants were divided into two equal groups based on BMI percentiles: 25 obese and 25 non-obese children. All subjects underwent clinical assessment and laboratory investigations including complete blood count, serum iron, ferritin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and serum hepcidin (measured via ELISA). Results: No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding age, sex, or ferritin and TIBC levels. However, obese children had significantly lower serum iron (p=0.029) and markedly elevated serum hepcidin levels (5081 ± 1780 pg/ml vs. 3372 ± 250 pg/ml; p<0.001). A positive correlation was found between BMI-SDS and serum hepcidin (r=0.45, p=0.035) among obese participants. Multiple linear regression confirmed obesity as an independent predictor of elevated hepcidin levels (β = -1.15, p=0.009). Conclusion: Obesity in children with IDA is associated with elevated serum hepcidin levels, potentially impairing iron absorption and utilization. These findings underscore the role of inflammation-induced hepcidin overproduction in the pathogenesis of iron deficiency among obese children. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Hepcidin; Inflammation Mediators; Iron-Deficiency Anemia; Pediatric Obesity | ||||
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