Hepcidin Signaling in Health and Disease: Ironing Out the Details
Kris V. Kowdley, Eric M. Gochanour, Vinay Sundaram, Raj A. Shah, Priya Handa – 25 March 2021 – Hepcidin, a peptide hormone produced by hepatocytes, is the central regulator of systemic iron homeostasis through its interaction with ferroportin, the major cellular iron export protein. Hepcidin binding to ferroportin results in reduced iron export from macrophages and intestinal absorptive cells, leading to decreased serum iron levels. Hepcidin expression is influenced by several factors that include serum and liver iron stores, erythropoiesis, hypoxia, inflammation, and infection.