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Comment
. 2004 May;113(9):1251-3.
doi: 10.1172/JCI21441.

Anemia of inflammation: the cytokine-hepcidin link

Nancy C Andrews  1
Affiliations
Comment

Anemia of inflammation: the cytokine-hepcidin link

Nancy C Andrews. J Clin Invest. 2004 May.

Abstract

The anemia of inflammation, commonly observed in patients with chronic infections, malignancy, trauma, and inflammatory disorders, is a well-known clinical entity. Until recently, we understood little about its pathogenesis. It now appears that the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 induces production of hepcidin, an iron-regulatory hormone that may be responsible for most or all of the features of this disorder.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Regulation of hepcidin production in inflammation. Inflammation leads to macrophage elaboration of IL-6, which acts on hepatocytes to induce hepcidin production. Hepcidin inhibits macrophage iron release and intestinal iron absorption, leading to hypoferremia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

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