Abstract

PORTO, Graça; OLIVEIRA, Susana  and  PINTO, Jorge Pereira. Hepcidin: the key-molecule in the regulation of iron metabolismo. J Port Gastrenterol. [online]. 2012, vol.19, n.1, pp.26-32. ISSN 0872-8178.

The discovery of hepcidin constitutes one of the greatest revolutions in the present knowledge of iron homeostasis. The demonstration that this small peptide, synthesized mostly in the liver, functions as a central regulator of iron metabolism, and the subsequent elucidation of its mechanisms of action and regulation, all lead to a better understanding of a vast number of disorders of iron metabolismo and offer a new perspective in the diagnosis and treatment in the clinical practice. In this paper we review basic aspects of the regulation and action of hepcidin, and also address some novel concepts which enlarge the spectrum of interest around hepcidin and its clinical application

Keywords : Hepcidin; liver; iron homeostasis; inflammation; anemia; iron overload.

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