The impact of Helicobacter pylori eradication on serum hepcidin-25 level and iron parameters in patients with iron deficiency anemia

Summary Background and aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of bismuth-based quadruple regiment as a first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication in patients with unexplained iron deficiency anemia (IDA). The serum hepcidin-25, iron, ferritin levels and total iron-binding capacity were evaluated at baseline and after H. pylori eradication in order to assess whether H. pylori eradication plays a role in IDA related to H. pylori infection. Methods The study included 80 patients with unexplained IDA and H. pylori infection. All patients received pantoprazole (40 mg b.i.d.), bismuth subcitrate (120 mg q.i.d.), tetracycline (500 mg q.i.d.) and metronidazole (500 mg t.i.d.) over 14 days as H. pylori eradication regimen. In all patients, blood samples were drawn at baseline and 1 month after eradication therapy. In all patients, serum hepcidin-25 levels were determined by using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results There was an improvement in hemoglobin, iron, total iron-binding capacity and ferritin values after H. pylori eradication in all subjects. Serum hepcidin-25 levels significantly decreased after H. pylori eradication ( p