Role of hepcidin in hearing loss

Background: Hearing loss is considered as a public health problem that affects the population at all ages. Hepcidin is an important protein with a crucial role in the homeostasis and metabolism of iron. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between hepcidin and hearing loss and to find out the mechanisms that lead to this association. Materials and Methods: A total of 300 persons included in this study, 150 as a patients’ group who are suffering from hearing loss and attended Al-Sadder Teaching Hospital in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf City, Iraq, while the other 150 participants who are selected randomly as controls’ group and are free from hearing loss. The ages of all participants ranged between 18 and 70 years, and controls were matched with patients by gender and age (within 5 years). Many parameters are measured such as hepcidin, Creactive protein (CRP), interleukin6 (IL6), advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and glutathione peroxidase-3 (GPX-3). Results: The results of this study revealed that sensorineural hearing loss was the most common type followed by mixed one. Furthermore, it was shown that hepcidin and CRP were significantly higher in patients compared with controls, while there were no significant differences between patients and controls in the levels of IL6, AGEs, and GPX3. The correlation analyses showed a significant positive correlation between hepcidin and CRP and hepcidin and IL6. Conclusion: Hepcidin and CRP have a negative impact on hearing, increase significantly with hearing loss, and have role in the development of hearing loss.