Urinary hepcidin level as an early predictor of iron deficiency in children: A case control study
2011

Urinary Hepcidin Level as a Predictor of Iron Deficiency in Children

Sample size: 100 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Sanad Mohammed, Gharib Amal

Primary Institution: Zagazig University, Egypt

Hypothesis

Can urinary hepcidin-25 levels predict iron deficiency in children before anemia develops?

Conclusion

Urinary hepcidin-25 levels can predict iron deficiency very early, before any hematological issues arise.

Supporting Evidence

  • Urinary hepcidin levels were significantly lower in all stages of iron deficiency compared to healthy controls.
  • Three cutoff points for urinary hepcidin were established to differentiate between stages of iron deficiency.
  • The study suggests urinary hepcidin could be a simple and non-invasive test for early detection of iron deficiency.

Takeaway

This study found that measuring a substance called hepcidin in urine can help doctors tell if kids are low on iron before they get sick.

Methodology

A case control study with 100 children, including 75 with varying stages of iron deficiency and 25 healthy controls.

Limitations

The study had a small number of cases and was limited to a single center.

Participant Demographics

Children aged around 5 years, with a mix of genders.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Confidence Interval

(0.707-0.927), (0.840-0.988), (0.927-1.000)

Statistical Significance

p<0.01

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1824-7288-37-37

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication