Comparative Study of Hepcidin and Some Inflammatory Parameters in Pregnant Women at the Three Trimesters Al-Jowari Suha Abdul-Khaliq Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq Online published on 30 April, 2019. Abstract Comparative study of hepcidin and some inflammatory parameters (interleukin-2 and 6, tumor necrosis factor and c-reactive protein) from several Health Centers in Baghdad City was performed. Sixty adult apparently health pregnant women (twenty in each trimester) at different periods of gestation and twenty normal non-pregnant women (total eighty) were the subjects of this study. From each subjects, 10 ml blood was collected in order to obtain serum. The supernatant of blood samples was used to quantify the serum TIBC level by spectrophotometric methods. Serum levels of hepcidin, iron (Fe), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by standard methods using commercially available kits. The results of the present study show that there was a significant (P<0.05) decrease in hepcidin concentration means at the three trimesters of pregnancy as compared with non-pregnant women. This study also demonstrate that there was a significant (p<0.05) increase in TIBC and transferrin concentrations at the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. On the other hand, these results explain a significant (p<0.05) decrease in iron concentration means at the first and second trimesters as compared with non-pregnant, while there was a significant (p<0.05) increase in IL-2 concentration means at the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Further, the results of the present study demonstrate that there was a significant (P<0.05) increase in IL-6 concentration and C-reactive protein means at the three trimesters of pregnancy as compared with non-pregnant women. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in TNF-α at the three trimesters of pregnancy as compared with non-pregnant. It is concluded from the present study that hepcidin and inflammatory markers were reduced as the pregnancy developed, while transferrin and TIBC concentrations were elevated in pregnant women at the three trimester as compared with non-pregnant. Top Keywords Hepcidin, Trimester, Interleukins, Pregnancy, C-Reactive Protein. Top |