Importance of Studying the Levels of Hepcidin and Vitamin D in Egyptian Children with Chronic Hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hepcidin is the key regulator of iron metabolism and is a significant biomarker for systemic inflammatory states. Vitamin D is a powerful immunomodulator and plays a significant role in the inflammatory responses and fibrosis occurring due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This study assessed the level of vitamin D and serum hepcidin and its expression in peripheral blood of children with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and correlated them with other serum markers to reflect iron metabolism and liver disease severity. METHODS: A total of 100 children were included in this study: 50 with HCV infection and 50 healthy controls. Biochemical parameters together with vitamin D, hepcidin, and its expression were all measured. RESULTS: The level of hepcidin and its expression together with vitamin D and hepcidin-to-ferritin (H/F) ratios were significantly reduced in patients, but the iron and ferritin levels were higher (P<0.001). Serum hepcidin level showed significant positive correlation with hepcidin expression, HCV titer, iron, ferritin, and H/F ratio (r = 0.43, 0.31, 0.34, 0.28, and 0.91, respectively) but significant negative correlation with vitamin D (r = -0.37). Both hepcidin and ferritin were higher in patients with Child Pugh scores B and C than those with score A (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Measuring serum hepcidin and its expression together with vitamin D levels in patients may have a prognostic value and is promising in the follow-up of the severity of liver disease.

Predictive and diagnostic value of serum intestinal fatty acid binding protein in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (case series).

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to investigate the value of serum intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) in early diagnosis and predicting the severity of Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). METHODS: This prospective study was performed on 160 preterm neonates ageing less than 35 weeks and weighting less than 2000 gm selected from the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) of the Pediatric Department at Benha University hospital and Benha children hospital to evaluate which of them will develop NEC, after follow-up these neonates were divided into two groups: Group one compromised eighteen preterm neonates with symptoms and signs of NEC. Group two compromised ten preterm neonates as a control group. All participants were subjected to full clinical examination, abdominal X-ray and serum I-FABP. RESULTS: The 1st values of IFABP taken at birth showed that mean serum IFABP concentrations of the study group were higher than that of the control group. The 2nd values of serum IFABP taken at the start of feeding showed that mean IFABP concentrations of the study group were higher in comparison with IFABP at birth. In the 3rd values of serum, IFABP taken at the time of diagnosing NEC showed that mean serum IFABP concentrations of the study group were higher than the control group. In the 4th values of serum, IFABP taken one week after diagnosing NEC showed that the mean serum IFABP concentrations of the study group became significantly decreased in comparison with IFABP at the time of diagnosis in stage 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS: Serial measurements of serum I-FABP levels may be a useful marker for early diagnosis and prediction of disease severity in NEC.