Role of serum hepcidin and reticulocyte hemoglobin concentration in evaluation of anemia in ulcerative colitis patients

CONTEXT: One of the most common extra-intestinal signs of ulcerative colitis (UC) disease is anemia, which has a significant influence on patients' quality of life. AIM: The aim was to evaluate the role of serum hepcidin and reticulocyte hemoglobin concentration (CHr) in the study of anemia in UC patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We recruited 80 UC patients and 30 healthy individuals of matched age and sex as controls. Subjects were subdivided into three groups – Group I: 50 anemic UC patients, Group II: 30 nonanemic UC patients, and Group III: 30 healthy controls. RESULTS: CHr showed a statistically highly significant decline in Group I than Groups II and III. Serum hepcidin showed a significant difference between Groups I, II, and III. We reported a significant negative correlation between CHr and severity of UC and extension of UC and a significant positive correlation between CHr and hemoglobin level, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), serum ferritin, and transferrin saturation. While, serum hepcidin had a significant negative correlation with severity and extension of UC and a significant positive correlation with hemoglobin level, MCV, serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, and CHr. CONCLUSIONS: CHr had an excellent performance in prediction of iron-restricted anemia and was the test of best performance in prediction of iron-deficiency anemia ± ACD. Serum hepcidin had an excellent performance in prediction of ACD.