Reduced levels of hepcidin associated with lower ferritin concentration and increased number of previous donations in periodic blood donors: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Hepcidin is one of the major negative regulators of iron balance. Periodic blood donors are highly susceptible to have iron deficiency. Our goal was to evaluate the possible association between serum hepcidin levels and iron homeostasis parameters in periodic blood donors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We enrolled a total of n=39 periodic healthy blood donors (n=24 M and n=15 F). A solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure endogenous hepcidin-25 levels in serum biospecimens collected from each study participant. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate possible associations between hepcidin levels and ferritin, transferrin, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC), transferrin saturation (TSAT), and number of previous donations.

RESULTS

Reduced serum hepcidin levels significantly correlated with reduced serum ferritin concentration (r = 0.56, IC95%: 0.51-0.60, p < 0.01). A multiple linear regression analysis showed that hepcidin levels were independently and negatively correlated with ferritin (p < 0.01). In addition, the number of previous blood donations was significantly associated with reduced hepcidin levels, independently of the other covariates (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Reduced serum hepcidin levels were significantly associated with reduced levels of ferritin and with increased number of previous donations suggesting its possible clinical role as non-invasive "point-of-care" in predicting iron deficiency among periodic blood donors.

Effects of novel SGLT2 inhibitors on cancer incidence in hyperglycemic patients: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Epidemiological evidence shows that diabetic patients have an increased cancer risk and a higher mortality rate. Glucose could play a central role in metabolism and growth of many tumor types, and this possible mechanism is supported by the high rate of glucose demand and uptake in cancer. Thus, growing evidence suggests that hyperglycemia contributes to cancer progression but also to its onset. Many mechanisms underlying this association have been hypothesized, such as insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and increased inflammatory processes. Inflammation is a common pathophysiological feature in both diabetic and oncological patients, and inflammation linked to high glucose levels sensitizes microenvironment to tumorigenesis, promoting the development of malignant lesions by altering and sustaining a pathological condition in tissues. Glycemic control is the first goal of antidiabetic therapy, and glucose level reduction has also been associated with favorable outcomes in cancer. Here, we describe key events in carcinogenesis focusing on hyperglycemia as supporter in tumor progression and in particular, related to the role of a specific hypoglycemic drug class, sodium-glucose linked transporters (SGLTs). We also discuss the use of SGLT2 inhibitors as a novel potential cancer therapy. Our meta-analysis showed that SGLT-2 inhibitors were significantly associated with an overall reduced risk of cancer as compared to placebo (RR = 0.35, CI 0.33-0.37, P = 0. 00) with a particular effectiveness for dapaglifozin and ertuglifozin (RR = 0. 06, CI 0. 06-0. 07 and RR = 0. 22, CI 0. 18-0. 26, respectively). Network Medicine approaches may advance the possible repurposing of these drugs in patients with concomitant diabetes and cancer.

Cloning and expression of the genes specifying Shiga-like toxin production in Escherichia coli H19

Some strains of Escherichia coli produce a protein which is cytotoxic for Vero cell and HeLa cell monolayers. This toxin is very similar to the toxin of Shigella dysenteriae 1 and has been named verotoxin or E. coli Shiga-like toxin. It has been shown that toxin conversion is due to a group of bacteriophages, one of which has been designated H-19B. In this study we report hybridization experiments showing that part of the H-19B genome is homologous to phage lambda. We have cloned a 1.7-kilobase BalI-BglII fragment from the genome of H-19B into pUC18. The recombinant plasmid confers the ability to produce high levels of Shiga-like toxin on transformed E. coli cells. We demonstrate using an in vitro transcription/translation system that the cloned fragment specifies the two verotoxin subunit peptides which have masses of 31 and 5.5 kilodaltons. The identity of peptides was confirmed by immunoprecipitation with verotoxin antiserum and protein A-Sepharose beads.