Hepcidin-25 is a Marker of the Response Rather than Resistance to Exogenous Erythropoietin in Chronic Kidney Disease/Chronic Heart Failure Patients

In this group of patients with combined heart and renal failure and anaemia, increased hepcidin levels were associated with markers of iron load and not with markers of inflammation. The (change in) hepcidin levels predicted early and long-term bone marrow response to exogenous EPO. In our group hepcidin seems to reflect iron load and response to EPO rather than inflammation and EPO resistance.