Determinants of hepcidin levels in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury: Impact on pAKT/PTEN pathways?

AbstractThe antimicrobial β-defensin-like role of hepcidin (HEPC) has been increasingly investigated for its potential role in acute kidney injury (AKI). In sepsis-induced AKI, there is a complex interplay between positive and negative regulation of HEPC, with consequently altered distributions of iron caused by changes in HEPC levels. The aim of the current research was to assess serum HEPC levels in a cohort of septic patients with AKI and investigate the regulatory impact of hypoxia-inducing factor (HIF)-1α, erythropoietin (EPO) and inflammation on HEPC levels and related signal cascades in these patients. Baseline, higher levels of SCr (2.3-fold), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (1.8-fold), uric acid (2.3-fold) and white blood cell (2.3-fold) were noted in septic AKI patients, along with decreased levels of albumin (15.7%), creatinine (44.7%) and BUN/creatinine ratios (23.8%), compared to in normal subjects. These hosts also had increased serum levels of TNFα (4.4-times) and TGFβ1 (3.2-times) compared to co...