Objective. This study investigated the informative value of iron metabolism proteins (hepcidin, ferroportin, erythropoietin, ferritin, and transferrin) in the etiopathogenesis of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Materials and Methods. Blood samples were analyzed from 44 patients with stage II–III CKD not receiving hemodialysis (conservative group) and 46 patients with end-stage CKD undergoing regular hemodialysis (terminal group). Serum concentrations of erythropoietin, ferritin, hepcidin, ferroportin, and lactoferrin were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results. In CKD patients, a decrease in erythropoietin synthesis (by 2.9-fold in males and by 2.3-fold in females in the terminal group) and in transferrin (by 28% in males and by 72% in females) was observed. At the same time, there was an increase in the concentration of ferritin (by 66% in males and by 53% in females), hepcidin (by 2.2-fold in males and by 1.8-fold in females), ferroportin (by 2.8-fold in males and by 2.1-fold in females), and lactoferrin (by 2.6-fold in males and by 2.8-fold in females). These indicators are major pathogenic factors of anemia, and their metabolic disruption in the context of inflammation leads to functional iron deficiency, ineffective erythropoiesis, and anemia. Conclusion. While ferritin, lactoferrin, erythropoietin, and hepcidin are important diagnostic indicators in identifying the causes of anemia in CKD, in clinical practice, ferritin and hepcidin assessments are of greatest significance.
G.M. Efendiyeva (Wed,) studied this question.