02647nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001100055653003600066653002500102653001400127653002400141653003500165653001400200653001500214653001100229653001700240653000900257653002800266653003000294100001400324700002300338700001800361700001600379700001000395700001400405700001800419700001300437245006100450856004800511300001000559490001600569050001400585520163600599022001402235       2012                            d  c2012 Dec10aAnemia10aAntimicrobial Cationic Peptides10aCase-Control Studies10aCytokines10aDisease Progression10aFluorescent Antibody Technique10aHepcidins10aHomeopathy10aHumans10aInflammation10aIron10aLeprosy, Multibacillary10apolymerase chain reaction1 aSouza VNB1 aSouza Malaspina TS1 aCampanelli AP1 aGhidella CC1 aUra S1 aDalpino D1 aNascimento DC1 aLatini A00aIncreased hepcidin expression in multibacillary leprosy.  uhttp://www.scielo.br/pdf/mioc/v107s1/26.pdf  a183-90 v107 Suppl 1  aSOUZA20123 a<p>Iron is essential for all organisms and its availability can control the growth of microorganisms; therefore, we examined the role of iron metabolism in multibacillary (MB) leprosy, focusing on the involvement of hepcidin. Erythrograms, iron metabolism parameters, pro-inflammatory cytokines and urinary hepcidin levels were evaluated in patients with MB and matched control subjects. Hepcidin expression in MB lesions was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression of ferroportin and hepcidin was evaluated by immunofluorescence in paucibacillary and MB lesions. Analysis of hepcidin protein levels in urine and of hepcidin mRNA and protein levels in leprosy lesions and skin biopsies from healthy control subjects showed elevated hepcidin levels in MB patients. Decreases in haematologic parameters and total iron binding capacity were observed in patients with MB leprosy. Moreover, interleukin-1 beta, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor and soluble transferrin receptor/log ferritin index values were increased in leprosy patients. Hepcidin was elevated in lepromatous lesions, whereas ferroportin was more abundant in tuberculoid lesions. In addition, hepcidin and ferroportin were not colocalised in the biopsies from leprosy lesions. Anaemia was not commonly observed in patients with MB; however, the observed changes in haematologic parameters indicating altered iron metabolism appeared to result from a mixture of anaemia of inflammation and iron deficiency. Thus, iron sequestration inside host cells might play a role in leprosy by providing an optimal environment for the bacillus.</p>  a1678-8060