Publication at Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové |
2011
Abstract
Hepcidin is small peptide hormone consisting of 25 amino acids that is predominantly synthetized in the liver. Hepcidin plays a key role in the regulation of iron homeostasis.
Hepcidin acts by regulation of its receptor, ferroportin. Ferroportin presents the sole cellular iron exporter and the iron-hepcidin axis contribution to the pathogenesis of different anemias and on the other hand iron overload.
Hepcidin synthesis is induced by iron overload, inflammation and suppressed by erythropoieses of hypoxia. It is also possible that in the future, our therapeutic experience will be enhanced hepcidin-agonists or hepcidin-antagonists.