Journal article
Altered expression of iron regulatory genes in cirrhotic human livers : clues to the cause of hemosiderosis?
Laboratory investigation, Vol.88(12), pp.1349-1357
2008
DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2008.95
PMID: 18838961
Abstract
Hepatic iron deposition unrelated to hereditary hemochromatosis occurs commonly in cirrhosis but the pathogenesis of this condition is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the expression of genes involved in the regulation of iron metabolism in cirrhotic (n=22) and control human livers (n=5). Transcripts were quantitated by real-time RT-PCR and protein levels were assessed by western blot. Hepatic iron concentrations (HICs) were measured by a spectrophotometric method. Levels of hepcidin mRNA did not differ between controls and cirrhotic livers; there was a highly significant correlation between hepcidin transcript levels and HIC in the latter group. Ferroportin, divalent metal transporter-1 (DMT1), and ferritin heavy chain mRNA levels were significantly higher in cirrhotic human livers than in controls (P=0.007, 0.039, and 0.025, respectively). By western blot, ferroportin and DMT1 levels were generally diminished in the cirrhotic livers compared to controls; neither correlated with HIC. In contrast, the abundance of ferritin increased with increasing HIC in the cirrhotic livers, whereas transferrin receptor decreased, indicating physiologically appropriate regulation. In conclusion, hepcidin expression appears to be appropriately responsive to iron status in cirrhosis. However, there are complex alterations in DMT1 and ferroportin expression in cirrhotic liver, including decreases in ferroportin and DMT1 at the protein level that may play a role in aberrant regulation of iron metabolism in cirrhosis.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Altered expression of iron regulatory genes in cirrhotic human livers : clues to the cause of hemosiderosis?
- Creators
- Ottar M BERGMANN - Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United StatesM Meleah Mathahs - Iowa City Veterans Administration Medical Center, Iowa City, IA, United StatesKimberly A BROADHURST - Iowa City Veterans Administration Medical Center, Iowa City, IA, United StatesJamie A WEYDERT - Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United StatesNeal WILKINSON - Department of Surgery, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United StatesJames R HOWE - Department of Surgery, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United StatesOkhee HAN - Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United StatesWarren N SCHMIDT - Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United StatesKyle E BROWN - Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Laboratory investigation, Vol.88(12), pp.1349-1357
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group; New York, NY
- DOI
- 10.1038/labinvest.2008.95
- PMID
- 18838961
- ISSN
- 0023-6837
- eISSN
- 1530-0307
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2008
- Academic Unit
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Surgery; Radiation Oncology; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984047863402771
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