The inability to appropriately regulate hepcidin production in response to these physiologic cues underlies genetic disorders of iron overload and deficiency, including hereditary hemochromatosis and iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia.
Dysregulation of hepcidin production contributes to the pathogenesis of many iron disorders: hepcidin deficiency causes iron overload in hereditary hemochromatosis and non-transfused β-thalassemia, whereas overproduction of hepcidin is associated with iron-restricted anemias seen in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases and inherited iron-refractory iron-deficiency anemia.
Treatment in IRIDA focuses on use of intravenous iron preparations to circumvent oral absorptive defect resulting from high levels of hepcidin due to TMPRSS6 gene variations.
Deregulation of hepcidin synthesis is associated with anemia in three conditions: iron refractory iron deficiency anemia (IRIDA), the common anemia of acute and chronic inflammatory disorders, and the extremely rare hepcidin-producing adenomas that may develop in the liver of children with an inborn error of glucose metabolism.
Deregulation of hepcidin expression is a common feature of genetic and acquired iron disorders: in Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) and iron-loading anemias low hepcidin causes iron overload, while in Iron Refractory Iron Deficiency Anemia (IRIDA) and anemia of inflammation (AI), high hepcidin levels induce iron-restricted erythropoiesis.
Contrasting with the aforementioned entities which involve compartmental, and sometimes, systemic iron excess, the iron refractory iron deficiency anemia (IRIDA) corresponds to a usually severe anemia with whole body iron deficiency related to chronic increase of plasma hepcidin, the systemic negative regulator of plasma iron.
Disturbances in the regulation of hepcidin contribute to the pathogenesis of many iron disorders: hepcidin deficiency causes iron overload in hereditary hemochromatosis and nontransfused β-thalassemia, whereas overproduction of hepcidin is associated with iron-restricted anemias seen in patients with chronic kidney disease, chronic inflammatory diseases, some cancers, and inherited iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia.
Mutations in the TMPRSS6 gene are associated with severe iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia resulting from an overexpression of hepcidin, the key regulator of iron homeostasis.
Mutations in certain genes influencing signaling to hepcidin via the BMP/SMAD pathway are associated with human disorders of iron metabolism, such as hereditary hemochromatosis and iron-refractory iron-deficiency anemia.
Iron-refractory iron-deficiency anemia (IRIDA) is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by hypochromic microcytic anemia, low transferrin saturation, and inappropriate high levels of the iron hormone hepcidin.
The genetic background of IRIDA is mutations in the TMPRSS6 gene encoding matriptase-2 (TMPRSS6) that prevent inactivation of hemojuvelin, an activator of hepcidin transcription.
Novel genetic forms of iron-related microcytic anemia have been identified, due to defects of iron transport/utilization or to TMPRSS6 deficiency and hepcidin hyperproduction, as occurs in iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia (IRIDA).
Patients with IRIDA have inappropriately elevated levels of the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin, suggesting that TMPRSS6 is involved in negatively regulating hepcidin expression.
Mutations leading to abrogation of matriptase-2 proteolytic activity in humans are associated with an iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia (IRIDA) due to elevated hepcidin levels.
These new cases of IRIDA illustrate the importance of LDLR-1/-2 and CUB1 domains in matriptase-2 function as well as the role of matriptase-2 in hepcidin regulation.
Mutations leading to abrogation of matriptase-2 proteolytic activity in humans are associated with an iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia (IRIDA) due to elevated hepcidin levels.